A lost Heritage
by angelofdeath1119
Summary: She'd spend her entire life looking for that "truth", if she needed to. This battle was something she alone had to face in the end. The Hunter Exam was the start of her quest. She needed to be stronger.
1. Start of an Adventure

**A/N:** Thank you for deciding to click the link and read my story ;D

Please leave reviews. They keep me on track on how I am doing. They are well-appreciated!

(The story might seem slow at first, but please keep patient. It will make sense somehow.)

**Hunter x Hunter (c) Yoshihiro Togashi**

**Original Word Count:** 4,174 words

* * *

**Start of an Adventure  
**_(before the battle begins)_

* * *

_I've always been curious with the outside world.  
__Not that I've haven't seen it, but there's always a part of me thinking that...  
__...there's something missing._

It was supposed to be a very beautiful morning, not only for her but for everyone in the house. The sky above glimmered with a beautiful shade of blue like it did every single spring morning since she was born, the clouds making pirouettes, throwing shadows once in a while as they stood in the way of the sun. The birds outside were singing to the girl songs of good wishes, having faith in her every move.

But it was anything but peaceful inside.

"Akane? A-are you sure of this?" her mother asked, her eyes desperate, filled with weary tears. Her voice was trembling with fear and indecision, but it seemed that she was just too late to change her daughter's mind. Not that she had done anything wrong; she was a caring mother, and as a mother of a 16-year-old daughter, of course she wanted her to stay, and her daughter could say that, pretty easily even.

"Yes, mother," her daughter answered her. "And besides, it's just an exam… I'll be fine," she reasoned, with a whine in her voice, for the nth time that day. She wondered what was up with her mother; she'd been trained since birth so what was with the worry? And besides, she was getting tired of reasoning out her leave now—she had been doing that for months on end, after all—and it felt weird to her that until that long-awaited day, she was still reasoning out against her parents' wills.

Her father, unlike her mother, had long quitted on trying to changing her mind. He knew when that dear Akane said '_I mean it_,' she really meant '_I mean it_.' Like hell she was sure she was going to go. Making her father move to the back of the argument and drop it took quite a while, but not as long as how it took her mother—since her insistent parent was still there, still begging on her knees that her beloved daughter stay instead, as she stood by the doorway of their house.

_May Dad be blessed, how he pulled Mom away from me._

"Be safe, okay?" her father said, not bothering to look up the newspaper he was reading. He was always like that. He looked like he didn't give a damn, but he did

"Call back and write, okay honey?" her mother told her as she stepped out the door of our white-washed house, unable to do anything anymore. The teenager just nodded her head and walked away.

_Free at last._

Their little home was far from the mainland, and pretty much farther from the docks. And that very dock was where the ship to Dole will supposedly take in the aspiring hunters-to-be from this side of the planet—that very dock was where she needed to be. In case you haven't figured it out, she went out, against her mother and father's 'better judgment', to take the Hunter Exam. She knew the tricks and the privileges of the Hunter License, so she thought to herself, _a simple exam won't hurt, right?_

She kept on telling herself it's a simple exam even though she knew it was not as easy as that.

She closed her eyes and talked to herself—her way or calming herself down.

_On that bright January morning, I, Akane Dukarra, set out from our quiet home by the outskirts of mainland Rome to go to Whale Island to catch the boat to the Hunter Exams. __Sometimes you just dream too big… but that star of your dreams is just by your reach. __I believed in that._

And as she walked away from the house with a smile on her face, she sighed slightly, murmuring under her breath, _One day, brother._

* * *

She supposed that day couldn't get any worse for her.

She shook her head in deep annoyance. The noise in the train was to the highest decibel she could stand—it was annoyingly loud. Annoying, annoying, annoying! She made her way fast in the corridor of the train and slid the door of her cabin open. She sighed, good thing the cabins are a little bit more soundproof. She put her bag down by the corner as she sat on the comfy got a good seat, in first class, because apparently her mother forced her to take the cash for the journey. She looked out the window longingly, watching the view.

The clouds were dark and so was the sky. There was barely a hint of sunlight that went through the fine webs of whatever vapor they were made of, and it made Akane depressed.

And then, rain started to pour. She could actually hear the drops hitting the roof of the train - loud as horses running through an open field. It was very hard to tune out. It irritated her even more, since she didn't like rain. Rain had always been so gloomy for her.

Then suddenly, another guy entered the room, sliding the door almost noiselessly as he went. She raised her eyes in confusion until finally she realized her mistake. She did take a first class cabin, but a first class sharing room, where two people share one cabin…

Dang.

"Oh. Hi," she greeted him, the newcomer, softly with a slight smile. It is going to be along ride anyway, so maybe making a few friends would be a good thing to do, right? And we might even be headed the same direction.

Oddly enough, he didn't answer—at least, not verbally. He barely nodded in response, almost only to himself, and continued to stare at his skateboard, clenching his fist, and murmuring in thin air. She couldn't hear his voice though. It was too weak.

She looked at the boy curiously. He was probably twelve or thirteen. He had a weird colour for his hair—silver-ish gray. Having fancy, out-of-the-norm colors as hair colour—like her, actually—was definitely not a usual trait of the people around there in her hometown. She couldn't say he was ugly or different, because she would be referring to herself too—she had weird, sunflower blonde hair, whilst all the people other people in her living area, including her parents, had dark hair.

She stared at the boy now, more criticising than how she had done earlier. He wore this purple-like t-shirt of the sort which sleeves have been ripped off (obviously, there were still a few tattered threads). He had a dark blue, almost violet long-sleeved shirt underneath it. For the bottom part, dark blue shorts went halfway his leg, then the bottom he wore white elevator boots. Beside him lay a green skateboard with a yellow design. But she couldn't see his face that clearly just yet...

Then, he stared back at her. His face seemed to be determined—that angry, determined kind—but his obsidian eyes, almost dark-blue, seemed to be staring deep into her soul. Her eyes widened with fear. She flinched. She felt so bare with him; it was like he could flesh her out within seconds.

(And he could.)

Then, his face melted into a childishly brotherly smile, his dark eyes lightening into a dark shade of purple. "_G-gomen_, did I scare you?" he asked, stuttering, obviously awkward with apologizing.

"No, no, I'm fine," she answered. "I guess she was just surprised."

He passed her a cheeky grin. "Maybe."

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"Why would I tell you?" He answered back. He had a point—he had only known her, if only by sight, for like, a few minutes, so why would he answer her question?

"I don't know, she thought maybe you just wanted to have a new friend or talk… it's pretty weird to talk when it's me calling you 'brat,' right?" she said with a grin.

"And why would you call me a 'brat'?" He asked, his voice sounding angry, defensive. Insulted, but not too much. "You don't know me."

She flinched. His tone seemed to be… scaring her. Like there was an underlying threat… she couldn't tell though. She sighed. "Well, if you're not going to tell her your name, I'll just give you mine then. I'm Akane," she said with a smile. She was trying to persuade him to talk, too. "Where are you going? You seem to be pretty young to go on journeys by your own."

She heard a silent scraping of the cushion behind him. Was he… scratching the cushion? Like a cat, perhaps? But for what?

"I'm not too young," he hissed. She decided it's not good to talk to him about his age… or maybe he just hated being underestimated. _Weird kid._

"But where are you going?" she asked again.

"You first," he said.

"…if you tell me your name," she said. But she knew him better than that; he knew that people like him wouldn't fall for things as simple and not thought-through like that.

She was right, as he shook his head. "No."

She pouted. "Why?"

"Because," he said. As the train chugged for another minute, they sat in silence. She was about to ignore him when he bended down and shoved his hand inside his pocket. He pulled a bar out. "Do you want chocolate?"

_The brat's trying to bribe me!_ She shouted in her head, but soon she shook it off. Or maybe he just wants to be friendly. But following her first thought—and as much as she wanted to have chocolate—she didn't give in. Well, she can ask him after he gives her his name. "I want your name."

"You sound like someone who's going to stalk me for the rest of her life."

She rolled her eyes. "Believe me, I won't. Why would I?"

He sighed, and tossed to her the chocolate. She caught it in her hands and gasped—Holy, it was one of the most expensive chocolate brands in the world! Any kid in the block would have killed to get one of those. "I'm Killua," he said, chewing on the bar that he had. He had given up on trying to hide his true identity for the meantime, because it seemed like she was some insistent, persistent idiot. (But about the chocolates, how many bars did he have, anyway?) "I'm going for the Hunter Exam."

Still dumbfounded at the gold-priced bar, she nodded a little absentmindedly. "I'm going, too."

"Girls go to the Hunter Exam? Pathetic! Why bother?" he said, and that's when she snapped back to reality and glared at him. He just grinned back. "Just kidding. I got bored at home..." he said, his voice trailing off.

_Man, I never knew people took the Hunter Exam for something that unimportant,_ she thought. _But then again, it's none of your business. _She nodded to him, trying to take it in.

"Stupid reason, huh? I was just tired of that freaking hellhole," he barely said, muttering. "What's your reason, Akane?"

To train. To become strong. To know the truth. The words bubbled under her lips. To find... "There are some things I need to find, Killua," she answered instead.

"Treasure Hunter, ne?" he asked, popping another cube from the bar in his mouth.

"Not necessarily treasures..." she whispered. She didn't really want to talk about it, so she looked out the window watching the rain soak everything wet. Trying to ignore his stares that asked her everything.

He saw through her, and her actions, so instead he shrugged. "Seems like the reason's too personal. No need to talk," he said and went back to his silence.

_Right._

She knew he felt nothing but awkward around her. She could practically feel his aura screaming, _GET ME OUTTA THIS PLACE! I'M GROWING GOOSEBUMPS!_

Something seemed to have been bothering his mind, whether it was that 'freaking hellhole' he was talking about or something else, she didn't know. Or maybe the fact that he was with a girl. She didn't know. And she didn't bother to ask.

He seemed to be, a very childish kid, but she knew there was something more than what was on the outside. He seemed to know something or had some power, but he was concealing it very well.

She was busy mulling over her thoughts as well. She thought only adults—okay, maybe teens as well—joined the Hunter Exam. Kids should stay kids—she meant, they only have their childhood once, right? They should enjoy their childhood, and then join the Hunter Exam. That kid she was with was barely a teenager.

_Well, the age requirement is 12, anyway. There's nothing stopping them._

She was thinking to herself again. Trying to calm herself down. If the age requirement is 12, there would be some kids in the exam. I doubt the kids would stay long enough to be a qualified Hunter, but I've been told and been rubbed in the face never to trust things by their appearances (a great example of how she learned that lesson would be when she picked the wrong fruit and ate a poison berry instead of the sweet berry, since they look exactly the same).

_The next few months should be some kind of fun… hey, maybe I can hang around with this Killua kid during the exam,_ she thought.

In the end, they might as well become very good friends.

* * *

They actually kept perfect, pin-drop silence the entire trip to the dock. They also kept silent when they transferred to a speed ferry. And still, silence urged on when they reached Whale Island dock, where the ship that was going to carry them to the exam site was. They found comfort in the silence and that was good for Akane.

Why she decided to stay with him during the entire trip was out of her comprehension—they weren't forced to, either. When he leaded the way, she followed along. When she did, on the other hand, he just followed, still without a word. Why he stayed with her was also out of her bounds.

She had the feeling that Killua became very irritated of the awkward silence he and her—his very silent and cautious-to-strangers 'traveling companion'. If he had voiced that out, she would agree with him—the tension of the silence was getting thick.

Just at that very moment when the thought struck her mind, he just said, a groan in his tone, "Talk to me."

"Huh?" she asked. She might've heard it wrong, she thought, so asking again wouldn't hurt.

"Talk about anything… the tension's annoying," he said. His voice was low and she couldn't tell what kind of emotions lingered there—sadness, fear, or just plain boredom.

She stayed with the thought latter. "You bored, huh?"

"No, it's just weird. The silence is getting kinda awkward," Killua answered.

"Uhmm... okay," she said, but not really fully understanding. "Maybe we can talk about your family?" she asked.

Killua's eyes turned into a funny expression. "My family? You've gotta be kidding me. No thanks, I'll pass up on this, but if you really want to talk about it, think you can start off with this one," he said.

She was confused. He wanted to talk and he ignored the topic? _Dude!_ "Okay… but I don't really know about mine. I know I'm not their real daughter and.. yeah. I just wanted to be free," she said shyly. He was looking out the window, and she was watching him. "Is there something wrong?

"No, I was just reflecting of her own family matters," Killua said.

She looked out the mountain. If she was right, that would be Kukuru they were spotting, far away behind. She was right—she had been staring at that mountain since childhood anyway. Her father told her once that there were creepy assassins—with the last name Zaoldyeck—that lived there. She also heard that no one—and by no one she meant no one—wanted to mess around with them. She looked at Killua. He seemed to be staring far away into the mountain, like he was somehow connected to it. Like how he had family problems.

She didn't even bother to think what kind of family problems. The only thing she was sure of was that it was really heavy.

Too heavy for the little boy's heart.

* * *

The train honked one final heartbreaking time as she hopped out of it. _This is it, _she thought. _I've finally set my distance, there's no turning back now._ She was right in thinking that the docks would be full of people. There were surely a lot of aspiring hunters-to-be, she was sure of that. She watched Killua come down the train with his own stuff. She smiled at him. "The boat's leaving at one o'clock. Care for eating lunch?" she grinned. "I'm treating you."

As if consulting his stomach for the matter, he rubbed it and grinned. "Okay."

He took her on his skateboard and they had a ride, and told him where to go (she studied the map earlier at home—it was one of those things she did to convince her parents). She finally found this little restaurant, quiet and low-costing. He agreed anyway—he didn't seem to be the picky type at that moment—so they sat at the table.

It was lunch, for all she could remember, but she only got the simple crab soup and Killua got nothing but a chocolate cake. "For lunch?" she asked him. _That boy was odd. Cake? For lunch? What the hell._

"Yeah," he said with a grin. "It won't kill me," he said, trying to persuade her to dropping it already.

All she could do was smile back at him and just think about how weird he was in silence. She ordered her own meal, and they waited for their food in silence… but Killua had quite the time of his life entertaining her by making some hilarious funny faces so there were times they had one hell of an outburst of laughter.

While they waited, Akane took notice of a waiter that served this guy…or girl… a few tables away. The person was wearing some kind of blue tabard, and then white long sleeves, but in her amazement he/she had beautiful, bountiful, blond hair just like Akane's. The waiter handed him/her a plate when he/she noticed something mobilize or move on his/her table.

_This gender thing is getting confusing in my head… _Akane thought to herself as she watched the scene come to life and get more interesting.

"Sir, don't move, it's poisonous!" The waiter shrieked, scared and terrified almost out of his wits. Akane had to squint her eyes to see what was happening tables away. Killua's eyes were also glued to that black thing. _Whatever that thing is_, she thought since she couldn't see yet.

Suddenly, agitated and angry, furiously quick, he—yes she finally decided it was a he because he didn't have any curves (if you know what she meant)—took his fork and aimed at the thing - a spider. She couldn't see his expressions because his back was the one that faced her, but she was pretty sure that he must've looked agitated.

For some odd reason.

Murmurs spread across the tiny restaurant. Killua and she ate in silence after that—again, the same, silence-while-Killua-is-making-funny-faces kind of silence—when their orders arrived. The guy they saw continued eating. He was about to be finished - and so was the murmurs - when something elegantly happened again.

_Or maybe elegantly is the wrong word._

"THIEF, THIEF!" the shop owner shrieked as he ran after the said fellow. Eyes stared at the ruckus it caused, mostly from outside and some from inside the restaurant.

Then, an old man with sunglasses faced the shop and it's goods, then back to the running owner. He squished the fish into his briefcase then saluted to the young boy by his side. Then he ran away.

The boy was probably surprised or shocked. Akane was. Then she realized the blond was gone...

_Oh well, maybe that was just another person to see, huh?_ She thought as Killua and she started walking to the boat, too.

* * *

They arrived fifteen minutes before the boat was set to leave. That was, 12:45. They headed up to the boat, and found a place they could be comfortable in.

Killua wanted to keep a 'low profile' thing, so he hid himself in a tiny corner and engaged himself with his own personal matters in his mind. He told her they would be able to fit in the little hiding spot—and they would, actually—and since hiding –from-view was better for him, he said she could come to him anytime.

She thought that was very boring, so she said, "No thanks... maybe later!" She was out there to enjoy, after all, and she wasn't just going to be stuck in a little cave hole with a 12-year-old. Not yet. And then she went out to the side of the boat to look at the vast blue sea and the vast blue sky waiting ahead of them.

She waited silently for the boat to move. When finally it took away its anchor, she got to breathe.

_So this is how freedom feels like_, she thought as she felt the breeze ruffle her hair, caress her cheeks. She suddenly knew how to feel alive.

Suddenly the people turned their heads to something...someone. She heard it. She looked back to the shore then found two people there, waving their arms up like crazy. She heard shouts, maybe 'Captain wait for us!'

She couldn't hear him correctly, but later as she strained her ears, his voice became SUPER loud. She had to cover them to protect them, since she could feel her eardrums vibrating with the loud noise.

"CAPTAAAAAAAINNNN! WAAAAAAAIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRR USSSSSSSSSSSSS!" The boy shouted, and she had to cover her ears. _How can he make such a loud noise? Gorillas would BOW to that kind of loud thing._

"Tough luck, kid, try again next year," the captain laughed as he passed through and puffing her with the tobacco smoke. She waved it off and shook her hair.

She didn't mind the boy for minutes, but sooner she saw them—tiny little blurry blobs since her sight did not allow her to do any better—high up the cliff, the boy pointing madly at the ship and back to the rock he was grasping. The other man shook his head angrily and stepped backward.

Suddenly, the boy yanked the guy with his wrist and he jumped, grasping the fishing pole. They jumped, and landed on the boat silently. Well, the boy, but not the man.

Someone's handy with a fishing pole, she thought.

Then, she realized, that the blond boy was also there, watching the scenery quietly with deep blue eyes.

He was always there.


	2. Thoughts

**A/N: **Hai. This chapter's purpose is only to show you a bit of their minds ;D Kept short so that it won't bore you, haha. xD Review afterwards please? :3

**Hunter x Hunter (c) Yoshihiro Togashi**

**OWC: **2,556 words.

* * *

(Distracted) **Thoughts**

* * *

New, refreshing, and something wild. That was how the breeze felt to the young Akane that seemed to be ready for every more adventure. Being there, feeling the fresh breeze and hearing the silent waves, she felt so free. Freer than she'd ever been. _I've never felt THIS free in my entire life_, she thought with a contented sigh. The feel of nature around her made her feel whole, and so alive.

However the thoughts of contentment was something that the stabbing feeling at the back of her head stopped. The saying, 'everything good has a price' had always applied to her everyday life, but Akane groaned at the fact that it had to be today. Why today?

She didn't like a single second of it. Nu-uh.

She thought the blond boy was the one staring at her. She supposed it was him. He was the only one she felt hostile, if by a little, but he was not staring at her. She could feel the unseen, mental daggers being thrown at her, but she couldn't pinpoint who were throwing them. A shiver ran through her spine—someone watching her, even if it was the blond boy or someone else, wasn't good news.

She tried to confront her thoughts. _The blond boy… it isn't possible! He can't be the one staring at me. He's asleep like the dead, can't you see, Akane? _She turned around to check, and she was fairly convinced. Curled up in a ball by a corner, he reminded her of a kitten… but she finally reconsidered her thoughts and put that one away in a box that was labelled, _not and never to be thought of._

She didn't feel right, though. She didn't like it, that feeling of being looked down upon. Whoever it was that feeling that someone was looking at her. Angrily. She soon reached the point where she couldn't stand it any longer. She was completely annoyed by that stare. She just wanted to squirm away from those eyes and have her own moment of silence in her head. She wanted to ignore this moment of weakness, but how could she, when she could feel someone staring down at her neck, watching her every move and twitch.

She knew her thoughts sounded wrong, but that would be the only way to describe it.

She knew she wouldn't be able to survive any longer to the indirect torture that person was giving her, so with faintly flushed cheeks, she stomped back to the little corner where Killua hid himself, and sat a few inches beside him, burying her face in her knees. She uttered a micro-groan as she rethought how desperate she was in her current situation.

She wanted to hide her face—she didn't want to be seen any longer. Not by anyone, and she wanted to disappear into thin air like a bubble once there, next thing you don't know where it is anymore.

"Did something happen?" Killua asked her, noticing all those anime-like dark shadows hovering above her head. like a storm. She twitched a little, and he tried to figure out the problem on his own instead. He did, quite successfully, and with a cool smirk he told her, "I told you, it's better to just lay low."

"Yeah, I get it… I learned my lesson… You can stop looking down at me now, _sensei,_" she said annoyingly. She wanted to be strong again in people's eyes. She hated being weak; she loathed even just looking weak. She didn't like it. It was so degrading.

(She knew she wasn't strong enough, that she was weak still, but thinking about it didn't really help either.)

Killua blinked, a little surprised at her rather rude response. _Mood swings?_ "Sheesh. Freaking get a rest now, okay?" he said, still slightly irked and in shock, and Akane just nodded, ignoring his rude way of saying knew he cared, he wasn't just showing it "the right way."

"Thanks."

She suddenly felt so relieved about having Killua with her—at least, she had someone to talk to that won't annoy the hell out of her (at least not the bad way). Somehow she could figure what kind of little brother Killua would be, if he was.

But of course, she only knew that much.

* * *

Right after they got on this ship, Killua had not just exactly been 'laying low.' He wasn't sleeping or any of the sorts—he was just keeping a watchful eye and put his enemy-radar on full blast. He gave conscious looks around on everybody in the ship. He had been weighing the powers of who he thought would pass the exam.

He knew that most of the passengers on board the ship wouldn't even manage to get to the Exam site. He could tell that just by looking at them. Not that he was flattering himself (for he didn't like flattering himself except if it was for pure fun), he was merely stating the true and bitter fact. The others, he knew, may not even manage to survive the first round. For him—and he had the right to think this—they looked so incompetent and _weak_. But you mustn't judge a man by his appearances, so he just looked around anyway, not making real conclusions about their strengths.

If he was at his usual mind, he wouldn't continue this if he found anybody he wouldn't be able to beat. But he was letting go, he was going to keep fighting.

He had really planned on being a low-profile watcher so he had kept in that little corner on purpose. That little corner can see every part of the ship. He guessed Akane wasn't for unseen people-watching so he left her to just walk around, maybe to sort her own thoughts.

Despite all the ruckus he was trying to look into, he still kept an eye on her. A very watchful one, but for what reason he couldn't figure out. For some other reason which he could not define, he also just had that urge to defend her, to make sure she was safe. He didn't understand what he was feeling, exactly. He couldn't pinpoint… but for some reason he knew it would be something very important for him and the future he was trying to create from scratch.

He remembered what he'd left back home and he tried to feel sad, he did, he tried his hardest, but somehow he didn't.

He still was thinking of Akane. Not romantically, of course. It was weird, he thought, how a girl would have the bravery and the guts and all that little shit to join the Hunter Exam. He got that picture in his head that the members of the female species to be very meek and to be cowards, even though the female of the species are always much fiercer than the male.

(He closed his eyes. What did he know about girls? Of the few he'd met, they hadn't been really pleasant.)

But where he grew up from, those things aren't taught. He didn't know That.

He just went on to just feeling the rough surface of his skateboard, feeling the marks and the "wounds" and all the memories he'd made with it. He took a rest from his scouring for enemies, and proceeded to do a very interesting chore of looking out at nowhere. He was spacing out – not that he really had anything to do. He didn't want to have more "friends" at the moment and Akane was busy doing her own things in her own pace. So he kept silent.

He wondered, _how many chocolates do I have? Will they last? _

As he was about to grab a bonbon from his pocket, he spotted her walking toward him. A little glumly, even. _She must've gotten bored with the 'wonderful' view,_ h_e _thought. So, curious, he asked her if something happened. He reminded her that she should've just laid low. He'd tried his best to warn her, and he just wanted her to know that she better listen next time. It was "only for her good", after all.

_Shit, I'm sounding so parent-like, _Killua cursed in his head. _What the hell did I eat?_

However, Akane, the proud figure she is, just nodded. She agreed with him, and he thought that was weird. From what he'd seen with Akane, she'd argue about it or something. But he just shrugged off the topic off his mind.

He was worried about her – okay, maybe not much, not as much as his running low supply of chocolates, but a tiny bit still – because she was acting strangely. Something must've bothered her, but she didn't want to be bothered or anything about it. So he could do nothing.

He sighed. _Killua, you're putting your nose in the wrong place._

And he turned around and dropped the thoughts. The best way to let a bird to know it can fly was to drop it and let it use its wings.

* * *

She wasn't carboloading on angst, she was thinking.

She was actually busy contemplating on the happenings these past few days – and hours. In the duration of but a few hours (starting with her journey with Killua on the train), she felt like her life's been changed. Or her life had been changing. She didn't know how to describe it, and she didn't and won't know how to put it in words.

_Oh, right. This is the first time I'm actually doing this like this, without having to look at someone and ask if I should… _she thought bitterly in her mind. She was more than 'kind of bitter' that way. Her parents had always planned her day ahead of her before, leaving her no chance to think, 'What am I going to do today?' since all was already written out like a daily schedule. And she hated that.

It was not like her parents didn't want to give her the freedom, only it was different from the freedom she was feeling at that point in time. The freedom she had experienced lately made her feel so alive, so new, so refreshed, like someone pressed the reset button to her body and her life and she had the chance to do it all over again.

But the new presences that surrounded her blocked her from that feeling of absolute release.

Killua's was definitely something weird, if only for her. To her, he felt so… caring, tender or that sort of thing, yet also threatening and a foe at the same time. He was such a cute kid, yet he was still a very cold person. She would not believe in her lifetime that at that moment, he'd actually care for her in any way. She was not part of his family. She was just a stranger he had met on the way the exam. 'Acquaintances' was actually the right term.

In her mind, she thought Killua was an independent, strong-willed kid with great mind power. And physical as well, so far as she could see. Meanwhile, even if she wasn't weak, she wasn't completely independent. She wasn't a coward, but she wasn't exactly strong-willed—she doesn't trust her strength. She had great mind power, but she would bet on her life that hers wasn't as great as Killua's. Physically, she didn't even bother to guess. Oh, how she wished so badly she was like him…

Other than on the aspect of strength, his appearance also irked her, for some reason. Other than his childish face, his silky hair was so lustrous and mysterious she wants to ruffle it and feel it –she guessed it feels like the softest of silk. No, even softer. While hers… she did not bother to guess. Then, his eyes were filled with so many emotions that welled beneath. She couldn't tell which from which, but she could say that he was as much as a mental and emotional torrent as her.

His expressions told stories – he could be a kid at times, but he knew how to act like a mature, like, really mature, for a 12-year-old boy. Mature enough that she kept on thinking he was older than her. If it wasn't for the height difference between them of a few inches, she would've forgotten she was the sixteen-year-old, not he.

She wanted to know more about him. And she wanted to be something like a second, foster-sister to him. A great sister. In all aspects.

Speaking of being a great example, she remembered that kid with the fishing pole. He looked so friendly that right now she would love to run to him and tell him, "I wanna be your FRIEND!" with a cute smile.

But for the sake of her own face, she instead kept her position and lay low. She laughed a little at the fact that that 12-year-old she had just met was starting to become her role model, somehow.

_Just like Killua._

* * *

Akane and Killua sat there, silently, both of them divulged in their own personal thoughts and opinions about themselves and of happy things and sad things and their adjustments to the new surroundings. Akane was unsure and conscious – she kept her face hidden by lowering it on her two knees. Killua, meanwhile, was uncaringly apathetic, and just stared into space, thinking of things no one would want to know.

Both of them remained silent and did not want to talk with the other. Not that they didn't want to talk—they were very talkative persons, especially Akane—even though both of them knew that they wanted to open up to each other, that they wanted to know more. Both were curious, you see, about each other's lives and pasts.

But they just didn't seem to be the people who wanted to talk. Not with themselves, anyway. They watched each other movements from the corner of their eyes and that was it. Not one of them dared talk. They were neither awkward with each other nor just plain shy. The two kept in silence (with one of them sometimes murmuring some unintelligible words), in their own dreams, in their own space, in their own time.

This silence was comforting and they dwelled in it with all the love.

Well, until the crack of thunder and lightning, of course.


	3. Boredom

EDITEEDDD. :D 22/04/2011

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FAVS, ALERTS, AND I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS PEOPLE. :P

**HunterXHunter (c) Yoshihiro Togashi**

**Original Word Count: 2,642 words  
**

* * *

It finally arrived; the storm a little boy had warned the captain about much, much earlier.

Of course, it came in its own style. A loud crack of thunder accompanied by a flash of lightning surprised people on the ship, especially Akane. She barely flinched, but Killua was already looking at her with a worried glance. Akane, with her pride in the way, did not see the good in the thing at that moment. She was still in a bad mood, after all. She was irritated and shot a scowl at him. "Don't worry, Kil. I can take care of myself."

Killua's eyebrow merely twitched. He realized the _real _message was, 'You think I'm weak!' So he said, "I didn't say that."

Akane frowned. She thought Killua was just being merely cold and unresponsive-_somewhat like a corpse, _she had said to herself. Shrugging the topic off, she just nodded. "Never mind, then." She sighed to herself as she slithered off to a more exposed corner of their little hiding place. _I feel like I've been misjudged, _she thought to herself, _or I'm misjudging him. _

She looked up at the sky—it was pretty dark for that time already. It was merely 5:30. The light yet humid breeze told of impending rain. She was used to rain, since rain was an everyday experience back in her hometown.

And she had learned to dislike the rain. Akane didn't _hate_ the rain—no, because she loved it at moments as well. She learned to _dislike _it; she thought of it as gloomy and sad. _It just continually drained you of your hopes, _she thought. She loved the sun, she loved windy days, snowy winter days, cloudy days. She loved everything and anything but rain.

Knowing that night was going to be a very dim, lonely, and very _wet _night, she got a little irritated. But knowing that irritation would lead to nothing, she moved out from their little corner. _Discipline, discipline, _she chanted to herself as she looked around and stretched for a bit. Soon, as she scanned the horizon for something interesting, she found people gathering around by the ship's center. Curious, she joined the little group.

_Well, so much for the very grateful gods and my very rotten luck._ She said with a dry irritated snort. The 'annoying little thing,' as she called him, was talking in the middle of the little crowd. She could feel her heart in her stomach, and her stomach in her brain. She felt it going into tight knots. She felt it move with the little butterflies. She felt _nauseous._

Even if she had no proof that it was indeed that guy who was staring at her, she still was annoyed as hell at him.

She ignored the pain and took a wary step closer to the boy, hoping she doesn't take much attention. She strained her ears to hear the conversation, but with the raging wind and the loud claps of the thunder from the distance, there wasn't much she could do but catch what she could catch.

"...St. Elmo's fire...

"...electrically charged cloud..."

"...encyclopedia-like information..."

_Aargh!_ She thought angrily. _I can't understand a single word it!_ So instead of trying to focus on the words, she looked up at what they were supposedly talking about. The main sail was glowing purple, and she noted that something like electricity shone around it. Inside it scared her to the bone, but all she could do was sigh to try to clear her head. She felt chilled like hell, and the slight dripping of rain didn't help either.

"Akane," a voice called and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

* * *

_What the hell did I do?_ Killua thought to himself as he smoothed his swollen cheek, the sad victim that had just fallen under the judgment of Akane's iron-hard fist. _This'll heal,_ he tried to comfort himself, whining a little in the pain. (Not that it was to be compared to other pain he had felt before.) _In twelve hours, more or less, _he thought, and groaned at the thought.

He looked at Akane, wondering what he had done wrong to her. She looked content, and happy—even happier-looking than before—and a wide, ear-to-ear grin was even plastered on her face, making her look like a silly idiot. Killua snorted._ She looked... just like herself._

Like nothing happened at all.

His mind wandered back to the events that caused his cheek to turn red and swell. He approached her a little after she left, because he wanted to apologize-no matter how awkward apologizing was for him. Obviously the crowd was watching the static energy discharge, also known as the St. Elmo's Fire, and he would hell bet his life that they were discussing the old beliefs that said people who see it will never return. When he finally spotted Akane in that crowd that had people that were squished like sardines, he put her hand on her shoulder and called her name, almost a little silently for her to hear, in fact. She was probably shocked or scared out of her wits because without a wink she punched him. _Hard_. Her fist felt like a steel wall ramming angrily and fast at him. Of course, only after the punch did she turn around to check who she actually hit. For half a second her face turned pale, but the next half it was all red. She grinned and pulled him back to the little corner hideout.

He wanted to go ask her for an apology, but he thought, to save his other cheek, maybe that grin from her would be enough.

The two kept in silence inside their little 'cave', as Akane called it, divulged in their own thoughts once again. While they were getting used to their silent moments, they were at a really awkward situation. Akane was still furiously embarrassed about her accidental punch to Killua, while Killua was still too busy feeling the pain to think of anything else.

Thunder and lightning crashed in the distance, creating noises loud to equal to explosives blown by their ears. Akane would cringe whenever she'd hear those, and Killua would just keep still and continued to do what he needed to do - smooth and try to ease the pain of his swollen cheek.

Akane kept to another corner, curled into a ball, not wanting to talk. Her face was still red, too. Killua's face was red too, but for a different reason. Again with them and their awkward moments, no one dared talk. No one wanted to break the silence-Akane could actually feel the thick wall of ice of silence growing between them again.

_And what would be a nice ice-breaker? _She asked to herself. _What would be a better ice-breaker than someone shouting-_

"If you take those words back, I'll forgive you, Leorio!"

* * *

**"If you take those words back, I'll forgive you, Leorio!"**

The loud voice rung through the loud cracklings of the thunder, overpowering the loud shoutings of nature itself. If either Killua or Akane had dog ears, they would've pricked up in excitement.

_Something new._

She opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Since they were in their 'cave,' there wasn't really much to see except Killua busy with his cheek. She crawled a little bit closer to a wooden corner and pressed her ears to the outside.

"You first, Kurapika!" answered a deeper voice. _It's coming from my right,_ she realized, and crept out of the hole by an inch to see a little bit better. She heard another voice shout out, and she recognized it as the first voice. It sounded younger. "I don't intend to go first!"

Her eyes widened in shock with what she saw. The blond guy was out in the rain, soaking wet with rain in his clothes, in his hands a double _kan _(smaller version of a sword). His face showed his agitation - and determination. Across him was another man, probably two or three inches taller than him, and holding a _wakizashi_, a little dagger. They shared angry death glares as a lightning struck. Then suddenly, the blond shouted, "I'm coming!" while the other man shouted something like a battle cry.

They jumped; their sudden meeting in air greeted by lightning and thunder, and the rain. Blades met blades and fabric, and the creaking sound it created was annoying to her ears. It sounded of war, of death, and reminded her of the wars long time ago that killed so many that led to no good. She covered her ears with her palms as she watched the two silently land on the wooden floor. Now they fought on the ground.

"You're pretty good," the taller guy said with a smirk.

"You too," the blond said, but without any smile, and proceeded on jumping away from the attack.

Her eyes flew for a second away from them, and she realized the captain and another guy was watching the fight._ This is getting more and more interesting, _she thought. She then widened her eyes, realizing her thought pattern was out of norm. _Wait a sec. People are going to die! How morbid of you, you idiot._

"...be careful!" the captain shouted, and it broke her from her reverie. Her eyes flung up to the person he was calling to. Up the tattered mast was a man, probably up there to fix it.

_Uh-oh,_ she thought.

Her guts told her this wouldn't end well.

* * *

Akane had edged away from her little corner out to peep to the outside. Killua didn't like to bother with whatever was happening, since just from where he was seated, he heard it all - the battle cries, the shouts, the compliments, the rain, the thunder - hell, the everything. He wanted to hold his painful face, maybe to try to ease the pain, but he was dead curious he couldn't hold back any longer. He crept toward her.

She was looking out, her hair, clothes, face, and everything soaked because of the heavy rain. She was looking out...and up. Killua looked around the surroundings and he saw the fighters and the bystanders, watching with curious eyes. Alerted by the sudden clap of thunder he looked up and saw as lightning hit the mast and a man fell off, headed in a straight line directly to the water. The three people - the fighters and one of the watchers – dashed.

His mind - and logic - told him they wouldn't make it. He computed the angle and all in his head and it simply said, "It just won't do." Wondering how things would go in the end, he stayed anyway.

Akane blinked. _Will this do? _Akane thought curiously as she chewed on her lip. _Do they have enough determination to risk their lives for that other man? _The thoughts came rapidly to her mind, very fast since there was only a few milliseconds. _Well, the blond person and the raven-hair guy didn't, but the green-jacketed one... I could actually SENSE his determination..._

Akane and Killua watched in suprise as the green-jacketed kid jumped, catching the man by the waist. The blond guy, seeing that the green-jacketed one wasn't going to make it either, caught him too by the ankle and the raven-haired one got them by the ankle - luckily, this was enough, and the raven-guy pulled them up the ship.

Akane's thoughts shouted only one phrase.

_I must be dreaming._

* * *

She still couldn't believe her eyes. Hours had already passed since that event, the storm had left them, she had changed and was dry, the sun was back up in the sky, yet still she was thinking, _What the hell?_

She decided that none of that could've been done in human terms. So she decided to not believe it even if she had seen it with her own eyes. She believed that things aren't what you see at first glance. _Besides, _she reasoned to herself, _the time frame was squished; I can't lay out what happened clearly. One second they were duelling, the next they were hanging like a human ladder on the side of the boat. It can't be real, right?_

She sighed as she put on her last conclusion - _It's not human. _She stared at the sky quietly, trying to actually make sense of it.

"Killua," Akane called Killua in a small voice. She wanted to talk with someone to clear her mind.

"Shh!" he said, rather curtly. "Sorry. I was listening to something."

"What something?" She asked, running - or rather, crawling - over to him. If he was that agitated, she knew it must've been important.

"...You three pass," the captain said to the three guys from last night. A vein bulged in her forehead - _We're here, you know!_

"We're here, why don't we tell the captain," Akane said in a hushed voice. Strained, thought.

"Just... consider us secret people, okay?" he whispered. "And besides, he knows that we're here. He's definitely part of the Hunter Examination people so I bet my life he knows were here. Just…" And even though he did not complete his sentence, that was enough for her to understand, as she only nodded.

_Those three has good talent,_ he thought, and grinned. _More competition, the better._

Killua, content with what he saw, finally turned around to crawl back into the hole. "Move, Akane. We still have time to spend before arriving at Dole."

"Hey, who gave you the right to just call my by my first name? I'm four years older than you, idiot!"

He grinned at her. "Okay then. I won't call you Akane. It's OBAA-SAN!"

She rained soft punches to his back. He laughed like hell. They were having fun, for once, and since they were in a faraway corner they didn't bother to hush, for some reason.

Killua realized he had never felt that free.

* * *

"HUNTER EXA—" Akane shouted before she was rudely interrupted by a hand in her mouth.

"For god's sake, Akane, keep your mouth shut. We're here, I know, but we shouldn't be noticed!" Killua said in a hushed whisper. She heard a gurgle about something like _not being superstars _shoot out of his mouth, but she ignored it. He then threw a glance at the outside, realizing the other three examinees-to-be didn't notice. He breathed a sigh of relief. "At least not by those people. Can't you just stay silent for a while?"

"Yes, yes, master," she said sarcastically. He nodded, and with his hand on her mouth, he flung her to his shoulder and jumped off the ship, landing on the shore before anyone else noticed.

"Aren't we..." she asked when he put her down.

Instead of answering, he barely pulled her arm and walked toward the pay phone. He dropped a coin and muttered a few words into the receiver. His voice was angry and agitated, almost snarling. The call lasted five seconds, and then he put the receiver down and pulled her to the street.

A few minutes later a dark tinted car parked in front of them, and he pushed her lightly to the back passenger seat. He went to the front passenger seat and whispered to the driver with his hand outstretched to the driver's neck. "Got it?" was all she could catch from his words.

The driver nodded, and ever so quickly did he press on the gas and we were zooming.

_Scary._ Akane said with a shiver down her spine. Slowly, she thought, she was seeing the real Killua.

But Killua was her only friend!-as of the moment. So why bother seeing the bad sides of him? So she shrugged the problem off-even though she had a bad feeling about the situation-and thought, _But anyway. HUNTER EXAM HERE WE GO!_


	4. Before the Exam

Edited on May 3, 2010. ;)

**Original Word Count: **3,170 :D

**Disclaimer: **Yoshihiro Togashi owns Hunter X Hunter. And he's not giving it to me or to you. Sadly.

* * *

As the car silently zoomed through the empty roads, Akane's fear started to become stronger, and she started to shake in it. Killua was still tense and driver was sweating madly.

The events flew across her head like a fast slide show. The storm, the arrival, the call, the car. She remembered how a few minutes ago, the driver took his phone, murmured, grinned, then put the phone down, and put back his 'scared' look on his face.

She didn't have good intuition, but her guts were practically shouting at her that it was a trap. She wondered why Killua couldn't see that. Was he that content and sure of the threat?

Her courage was wavering. Her trust to the 12-year-old. Everything seemed to fade in the background, and all she could see was the pitch black darkness of her fears.

Looking for reassurance, she pressed her arms into the too-soft car seat. She wanted to relax, she wanted to feel fine for a change, and she started to look for something to fill that need. Unfortunately for her, that was something that was going to be staying in her seemingly expanding No-can-Dos list. Besides, she had to keep on guard, considering she had huge doubts about the situation. She had to be prepared, too. She couldn't just sit back and relax.

Not if she wanted to be a Hunter, no.

She remembered how her mother used to tell her to stop thinking of the worst and just live the happy life she had. But then again, could she actually do that? She felt that there was too much thick tension in her life to actually survive in 'the easy way' with 'the happy life she had.'

She slapped herself, a little too hard since her cheeks turned a pale, swelling pink, as she tried to shake off the dead yet painful tears of homesickness.

* * *

And he felt, in the deepest of his head and heart and soul, really unsure.

For once in his seemingly monotonous life, after something he'd done completely on his own will hoping it will be 'for the good of others,' he could say with a proud voice to his mother, his father, to the people who raised him and to the people he betrayed, that he felt definitely like he'd done something entirely wrong.

He was already rather modest to believe he'd never been doubtful of himself and of his actions. Killua, being in the situation he's in, had always been confident and sure and firm and strong. At least that's what he had believed he was at those moments, because usually his father would tell him and his 'beloved' siblings to not go if they weren't sure and confident 200% they'd be doing _really _good. …But then again, Killua wouldn't just sit his ass around when commission could get high.

_Anything for chocolate balls._

But as his dream slowly faded into reality, the mountain of dripping chocolate ball madness started to fade away, and he was pulled back into the badness of their situation.

Re-concentrating on what he had been doing much earlier, he looked suspiciously at the driver. His sweat was dripping madly, like a sponge getting squeezed, and his face was all chilli and tomato-colored red. His hands clutched the steering wheel so tight—too tight—his knuckles had already turned white. Much white, really whiter than Killua's hair, even, if you'd compare. And then Other than that, he was shivering.

_Was he... terrified? Or was he faking all it?_

Still, Killua could remember the shudders running up hisspine when the man grinned to his phone. There was a hint of mischief in it, and then definitely of evil madness.

_Something... is wrong. Obviously, everything he's doing has been a great big show. And he's been pulling a great poker face. __Maybe he's a hunter, trained in this... freaky piece of art, if I may call it that, _I thought.

Killua spared a worried and rather fleeting glance to Akane, sitting at the backseat, and with her tensed expression obviously she could see the doubts in the matter. And she could see them _really _well, maybe much better than he himself.

_Bad Killua. Really bad._

Killua looked back to the front to face the driver and the direction where we were.

"Holy Crap."

* * *

"Holy Crap," she heard Killua whisper with a cut breath. She winced a little at the foul word—she was a rather clean person—but it was sooner than not when her eyes flew to him, rather a little confused.

But the confusion was short as the realization came quick. Her eyes widened in shock. The driver was now grinning a grin ear-to ear, and she turned desperately to Killua. He didn't look back at her, however.

_Uh-oh._

The car was zooming off to a cliff at probably a harsh speed of 100mph, and suddenly the loud and painful ear-splitting screeching of road meeting rubber and the friction it caused made her tense. Trying to ease the pain, she covered her ears with her palms.

Suddenly, a hand—Killua's, perhaps—grabbed her thin right wrist roughly as he pulled her out the car through the back door. She had trouble seeing; the speed of the motion he took was too fast for her eyes. Everything was just a blur before her weary and tired lenses. Everything came in a smudge of color and movement.

So the next thing she knew, after she barely blinked, was that Killua was holding her by her waist and they were hanging by a fragile and weak-looking tree branch. As she turned down, she saw and heard the roar of the heavy current of a river, and the humongous sharp rocks protruding from the foam and the water.

_Instant Death._

Just as she was about to try her hardest to push herself and Killua up, Killua spoke up. "Hold still," Killua said in a rather ordering tone, and pushing himself up with the hard stone, he jumped.

But with a really bad momentum, because the next thing she knew, she was being pulled by gravity down to the water, down to an inevitable fate.

* * *

_Unggghhhh... my head hurts like hell... _he thought, really irritated and annoyed, as he tried to smooth the soft bump at the crown of his head.

_Let's see. What happened._ I tried to recall the things. _Well, before that driver could actually push that eject button, I got to grab Akane's wrist and we jumped out the back door. I was hoping to reach fresh ground, but my feet ended up in thin air, and angrily I grabbed at anything I could find. My hand found something solid and I grabbed on to it. And so, Akane and I hung by one fragile and thin tree branch that came out of nowhere. Lucky jump I guess, but not too lucky. I stayed hanging for a second or so, trying to catch my breath. Carrying Akane was no problem, anyway. I had her by her waist and she was breathing hard too. She was so light, maybe half my own, I don't know, I've carried dead persons heavier than her. And they were already dead. Then suddenly, I heard a crack and realized we won't be able to stay there forever. "Hold still," I told her, and with the little rock by my foot, I jumped. Honestly, I didn't catch that moment too good either. I knew I jumped, but my feet didn't reach solid ground and instead I ended up on the same branch and, toppling over, we fell down to the water below. Akane was blinking in fright, maybe shocked, but I don't kow._

He stopped in his tracks, realizing where his train of thoughts were slowly leading him.

So_ why..._ he thought, _...am I in solid ground?_

He sat up harshly, ignoring the dizzying pain that the sudden motion had caused, and looked around to see a man sitting on a log. He had a hood over his head so Killua couldn't get to see a good look on his face, only his dark chocolate brown eyes.

"You're awake now, I see," the man said, nodding. "The girlie and you've been asleep for two hours now."

"Two hours?" Killua tried to ask, to confirm, but his voice came out ragged and hoarse. Dry.

The man tossed him carelessly a bottle of water. Killua immediately went down to business and gulped down half of it in a few seconds before putting it on the ground. The man continued to speak to him. "Where are you two going, anyway? She your sister?"

"No, I just met her along the way," Killua said. "We were planning to take the Hunter Exam."

"Hunter Exam, huh?" the man said with a smirk evident in his voice's tone. "Well, well," he said, "Apparently maybe fate brought us together. I'm headed there, too."

"Can you lead us to the test site?" Killua asked him, rather shamelessly, but shame had no place at that moment.

"Pretty easily," the man answered Killua. "Go carry her; we'll be there before she even wakes up or notices or realizes what happened." He then added, to explain, "I think the medicine will make girls pass out for a long time. I'm not sure." Seeing that Killua still stood there, firm and quiet and unmoving as stone, he repeated, " Go carry her. You can do that, right?"

_Carry... Akane? _Killua thought, however and gulped. _How?_

"Is she that heavy?" the man turned to Killua, eyebrows raised. "She was lighter than a feather earlier. Or was it dead weight?"

_Earlier, right! _He suddenly thought, remembering. "How did you get us... all the way up here?"

"I was passing the rocky side below when I heard you two splash down. Moral conscience won't let me leave two kids drowning in the current," the man answered with a tone of carelessness in his voice. Like he didn't even care, or whatever he did had nothing to it. What irritated Killua more was that he didn't even clarify on the _how _of the situation_._

Killua finally decided to ignore, passing it off as maybe a secret technique by the guy, and he respected the privacy. He just shrugged. "If that's what you say, then I thank your moral conscience." Killua turned away and walked toward Akane. "Anyway, will we start now?" he asked, with still his back turned.

"Better so," the man said, and Killua heard a few tossing and jingling, like the man was preparing his things as well. "Just a few hours, maybe midnight you'll be hitting the sack there. It's five in the afternoon, anyway," he stated blankly.

"Okay," Killua said, not pushing for any more information or anything, and just put Akane on his shoulder. _She shouldn't mind, right? I wish..._ he thought, as he said to the older man a very tired-sounding yet on-the-move "Let's go."

"Okay," the man said, and he led them to a direction toward the mountain.

* * *

When Akane finally woke up after the medicine's powerful energy-retrieving strength had worn off, she realized she was leaning and sitting on something cold and hard. She squinted her eyes, trying to focus, but it only caused her head to throb terribly. She moaned in the pain.

"Oh, so you're awake, Akane. Good morning," a voice said.

"Huh?" she turned to Killua, a little confused, looking up at him with blurry eyes. "Where... are we?" she asked. "Is this heaven? The afterlife? It doesn't look like what they told me."

Killua couldn't smother a chuckle at the foolishness of his older companion. "We're at the first test site, idiot," he said. "It's now a little past midnight."

"WHAT?" Akane asked in shock, but she decided to not shout once more since the pain in her skull just worsened. Her voice becoming lower and on a better-for-the-ears note, she asked him, "How did we get here?"

Killua shook his head teasingly, even waving his pointer finger side-to-side to exaggerate the action. "Now that's a part that I won't and will never tell you. But the weird thing is, there's only 99 examinees here - me being the 99th." He pointed on his number badge. "I mean, what kind of competition is that?" he asked, and laughed at his pride.

Akane ignored the blasting pride from the 12-year-old and just tried to focus even more. But then something struck her, from what Killua said. _Wait, number badge? _she looked down at her shirt and found her own number badge. It was a white circle, pinned to the cloth, and printed, marked on it, was the number 98. "Keeping secrets then. I don't mind." she finally said, and she could see the smirk on Killua's face fading. She tried to turn the topic away. "How many hours was I out?"

"Wait, let me count," he said, and counted with his fingers. "I think nine." Seeing as she didn't reply after that, he then grabbed his skateboard from behind him and started spinning the wheel.

_Wait a sec..._ "Where did you keep that all this time?" she asked, rather suspiciously, but he only grinned at her.

"I ain't tellin' ya. Go hit the sack again, I think the test's starting tomorrow."

And in a flash, the world was once again a very tiring and very haunting and dark shade of midnight black.

* * *

Killua reverently polished his skateboard as he watched the rise and fall of Akane's chest. He was actually used to it, considering her usual quick-unconsciousness and falling to a fast deep sleep. It was already 1:00am, and he couldn't get a wink of sleep.

He was trying to find a way to sleep, but he just couldn't catch it. Because whenever he closed his eyes, those dreams, those memories, the black and the sticky red, would always cling to his mind.

His knee was an inch away from the top of Akane's head, which was laid down silently on the cold cemented floor. She was lying down sideways, arms being used as cushion.

She stirred and sat up, but sat with no words. Then, seeing Killua, she scooted over. She looked at Killua's empty-looking blackish purple eyes, and she noticed the little black rims already forming beneath them. Obviously he was craving for much needed sleep. She ruffled the kid's hair and pulled him with her arms, and embraced him so that he lay on her lap. "Sleep, Killua," she said, with a half-asleep, almost drugged voice, as he looked at her in the eye filled with surprise.

But then finally, ignoring the usual _why_s and _how_s, Killua smiled, and closed his eyes, knowing that maybe _this _would be able to make his nightmares fade away.

A very caring, a very familial touch he'd been aching for.

* * *

When she woke up after making Killua actually sleep, he was once again very wide awake. He stood tall above her, towering over her in a way that, somehow, intimidated her. He actually looked like he was protecting her, from her point of view. Without a sound she followed his eyes to where they were looking, and spotted something strange.

A weird, aqua-haired magician-looking weirdo was holding a card by another man's jugular, by the neck. He was whispering words she couldn't understand, lips barely parting with each said word. He was murmuring silently, a deadly, murderous aura coming out of him getting stronger with each movement of his lips. But there was some kind of playfulness to it, of course, a really eerie one, as she felt the hairs in the back of her neck rise on end. She watched as the other man, meanwhile, shivered, eyes daring bulge out of its sockets. His face was pale and he was sweating hard.

Then suddenly, the card trailed across the man's neck, and blood seeped out of the neck. The card actually made a wound! She watched the magician guy murmur again, awed at his power. She tried to do lip reading, and she supposed he had said, 'Is that enough, or do you want more?' The magician guy licked his lips, like he was hungry. Finally sensing it wasn't the time for watching eerie magician shows, she got up and moved closer to Killua.

He looked down at her, and with a little thud he slumped on the floor. "That's Hisoka," he said, like he was stating a very obvious fact. "Obviously, he's bored, and he just wants to have some fun while the exam hasn't started."

"That's some weird kind of fun," she said, shuddering, as she embraced her arms like she wanted to protect them.

"Coward," he teased, and she scowled at him. He stood back up, leaning once more on the hard wall. He continued to watch, while she turned her eyes away.

She looked around, trying to move her eyes off in a different direction from where HIsoka was, and whatever he was doing to the other man. She noticed that there were more people than last night, and there were at least 300 in the room, but no more than 500.

_There's only that little number of examinees? _She asked herself, a little shocked. _And I thought there'd be... like, a thousand, or two._

People looked weary, tired, and sensitive. Everybody cast ugly, hateful glances to each other, and she felt bad how maybe there's no other group or at least pair of friends in the tunnel except for her and Killua. She figured maybe all of them were only there for the card and for only the card, and if killing was needed they will. She watched the people talk, usually hisses and little curses, and stare at the other people as well. Once in a few minutes, new people would pop in a hole and then the hole would disappear.

"The test's about to start," Killua said, and immediately, as her attention was called, Akane stood up and dusted herself.

"Do I look good?" she asked him, trying to get rid of the dust that stuck to her clothes.

He shrugged. "You don't need to look good to be a hunter, right?"

"I'm just asking you if I look neat."

"Yeah, you do. Just... your bangs. They're going to get in the way," he said, and she noticed how his hand twitched, like it was itching to move it away from her face.

_Right, my bangs, _she thought, and grabbed at her pocket for a clip. She quickly found it, and clipped her bangs to the left side of my face. She got another clip and clipped her hair midway at the back. "Better?"

"I guess," he said.

Then suddenly, a gray-haired, no-mouthed man came out from a random corner. It was odd, looking at him, and she wondered where the sounds were coming from. But she couldn't focus. She still couldn't, as she felt the uncontrollable adrenaline rush through her spine.

_It has officially begun._


	5. Insecurities and Recklessness

Re-edited May 5 2011 ;]

**OWC: 2,926**

**Disclaimer: ***point at Yoshihiro Togashi*

* * *

"You don't mind running, do you, Goldie?"

Akane blinked, caught off guard with Killua's sudden statement. She wondered what the point with the White-headed kid was_. _Realizing soon enough though that he was insulting her, her eyes narrowed into slits—humorous yet still pissed in a way—and asked him, "What do you mean, '_goldie'_?"

"Goldie, 'cause, you know, you have yellow hair," he said, shrugging as he jogged beside her without so much as an effort. "It's… nothing, I just wanted to call you that way. …So you don't mind running?"

Akane did a quick round of her mental checklist of her state. She still had stamina, but she was getting a little parched, she realized, as she licked her cheeks. She checked her breathing—just equal and paced. Finally looking up at him with a reply, albeit a little hesitant, she answered him with a strong and confident "No."

He looked at her with wary, criticizing eyes before he finally put the matter aside. Looking away from her, he turned to face ahead again. "I'll be going on ahead then," he said as he jumped up to his skateboard. "Just shout if you need something…anything."

And with just that, he moved away swiftly on his skateboard; so far away Akane could barely see or notice that his face had turned dead serious once more, eyes squinted as he criticized and maybe tallied the number of probably 'good competition' in the crowd. She laughed at her situation. _And I was hoping for a kind remark from the kid—at least one little 'Hey, you can take the skateboard' wouldn't kill him now would it?_

But somehow she knew better than that. Even though she'd only been with Killua for a little time, she could somehow figure out his character. Her conclusions said that he was strong and he wasn't going to let anything get his way… he would push it off like it didn't matter. She decided that he _was _kind of a brat. _But him as a brat was a smart kind of brat, _Akane thought, and she couldn't help but chuckle_. Killua's character is so weird, thinking about it right now._ She noticed how, ever since it—the exam proper—started, he'd, in a way, changed. To her he became rather stiff and arrogant and serious and, in a way of her seeing, un-Killua like.

She thought the change was so abrupt, like he was forced to do it, like he would be electrocuted if he didn't do it.

Akane shook her head with a soft sigh, and finally looked back up (she had been looking at her feet as she ran while she thought of those things). She saw that he had covered quite a distance between them. She wasn't bewildered or anything about his speed and endurance—it was just the things that seemed to come along with him. With that in mind, she dashed even faster to catch up with him, shouting, "Hey Kil!"

Half—or maybe even more—of her expected him to look coldly back at her. So when he just turned his head around to look at her with raised eyebrows and a questioning look, with the childish features back on his pretty face, she was surprised. Pleasantly surprised, though, and it felt like a thorn out of her flesh.

"Yeah?" he asked her.

Suddenly Akane couldn't help but laugh. Her mind told her that now that his serious stage was finally off, she could start scolding him. She _was _a bit sadistic, after all. "I told you that you could go forward, but I didn't tell you to leave me behind," she said, her tone a little chastising as she elbowed him a little because she had already caught up to his skateboard's pace. Then, she flashed a wide and proud grin, saying, "Good thing I was fast enough, eh?"

She smiled at how Killua's eyes became full of mischief. "Oh yeah snail pace?" he said, a little teasingly. "Let's see you catch up to this!" And with that Killua pushed his skateboard way ahead with one powerful kick to the ground, leaving Akane in the dusts he had left behind in his wake.

Unfazed by his demeanor, Akane continued to giggle in delight. Suddenly, she felt so happy. Killua was such a carefree spirit; she couldn't help but be changed and awed by him. "Oh yes I will!" she said with a very content smile as she ran after him with a hyperactive gait.

Happiness contorted into a dark shade of disappointment once more when she realized—after she had caught up to him—that his grins and his laughter had faded away into an emotionless, almost stoic expression again. Akane was left to wonder why he kept doing that, hiding everything and his seemingly real and honest and cheery personality to replace it with _that. _She figured that maybe he was trying to build up the imaginary reputation of being a strong opponent, but it wasn't just righteous to her. Not in her dictionary.

Lost in her thoughts, still thinking with worry about Killua, the acquaintance she'd grown so close to, she still ran after him.

And filled with surprise, she was, when after she had (once again) finally been in pace with him, when she saw and heard someone shout at him.

"You're cheating! That's not fair at all!" she heard the tallest man say. He had dark hair and sunglasses, and he was wearing a suit-like outfit, carrying also a briefcase.

_He shouldn't be here. He's supposed to be at work! _Akane said in her head, but she continued watching.

Suddenly a boy, the shortest one in the group, started to squeal in a way. His brown eyes widened with amusement upon seeing Killua, and in Akane's mind he looked like a fanboy. "Awesome! Oh—What's your name? And—how old are you?"

"Oi oi oi, shouldn't you be siding with me, Gon?" the first man said, staring at the younger boy.

"How am I cheating?" Killua's steely voice broke through, obvious because of the difference in pitch (his voice was rather a bit deep for a kid his age) and the way it was spoken. There was irritation and something screaming 'kill' lacing the tone of it. Akane was surprised at how his four words just angrily cut through the childish banter like a sharp sword in soft fabric.

Akane grinned once more and decided she'd just linger behind a bit farther, maybe to enjoy the show.

The man continued to argue. With a huff in his voice, he faced Killua a little angrily and said, "Isn't it obvious? This is supposed to be an endurance test! Not a walk in the park!"

But the little boy did not quite understand. He seemed to see the simple things in life, well, as simple as it was. He turned to the blond—which Akane soon realized was the blond she saw on the ship to Dole—and asked in a really childish voice, "The examiner just told us to follow him, right, Kurapika?"

"Who's side are you on, anyway, Gon?" The older man said with an incredulous look on his face.

"Leorio, they said you can bring anything to the Hunter Exam. So he brought a skateboard. And he's using it. There's no cheating involved," the blond said with a matter-of-fact tone, but it did not change or at least move the older man's perspective.

With a look that could be described as 'hurt,' the older man looked back at the blond. "Even you, Kurapika? What kind of friends are you?"

Suddenly, a rather fat man came to Akane's view, distracting her. As her eyes peeled away from the interesting scene, the man started to talk to her. "Hey… you're a new kid, aren't you? I've taken the exam a lot of times now. There's a lot of things you don't know—"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Akane said dismissively, not even letting the man finish his sentence and she pushed the man away with a strong hand. She decided maybe she needed to show up to Killua at that point, because he seemed to have faded in the background in the first group's discussion.

But Killua saw her first. Looking at her with an involuntary broad smile, he said, "And you finally caught up, snail-pace."

"I've just been… hanging around," she answered back as she rolled her tongue out at him.

The shortest boy—Akane tried to remember and heard the man call him _Gon_—turned his attention to Akane, the new-comer to the little conversation hub. "_Anee-san_, hello. What's your name? Are you his friend?"

Akane looked at him, a little too disinterestedly than she really was inside. "Hi. I'm Akane. No, I'm just his acquaintance. And if you're asking, I'm 16." The words rolled out like a routine from Akane's mouth, and she didn't like it one bit. Suddenly she started regretting introducing herself that way.

But the boy did not mind. Instead he tugged at Akane's sleeve and asked once more, "What's his name?" as he pointed at Killua with his lips.

"Killua," came Akane's immediate reply, but she was quickly elbowed by Killua, who towered over her as he stood on his skateboard. She gave him an innocent look and asked him confusedly "What? We're supposed to be friendly, aren't we?"

But Killua didn't seem to be humoured at her statement. With narrowed eyes he told her, "I didn't exactly give you permission to tell everybody here in this tunnel that I'm Killua, now, did I?"

_Back off, back off… _Akane murmured in her head, realizing maybe it wasn't the time to be joking with Killua. Turning away from him with a sheepish grin as she was unable to answer him back, she just decided to turn her attention to the boy earlier. "I didn't ask you… what's your name?"

"I'm Gon Freecs! I'm 12 and I want to be a Hunter because I want to search for my father!" He shouted gleefully, his voice echoing in the little cylinder we were running in. Akane couldn't help but laugh. Immediately it was like she knew so much about him, and all she asked was his name. But so he continued. "These are my friends Leorio and Kurapika," he said, pointing to the dark haired man and the blond with a friendly smile.

Finally Akane got to connect the name with the person.

On the brink of boredom, Killua turned his attention back to the group. "Just how old are you, ojii-san?" Killua asked, and she immediately saw the vein that popped in the older teen's forehead.

"Don't call me Ojii-san, I'm just in your generation!" He shouted defensively.

Akane, wanting to play Killua's game, immediately decided to back his question up with another—

"Then how old are you, really?"

The black-haired teen gulped, his adam's apple bobbing up and down with his motion. "I'm just 19!"

"Ha-ha. He's 19, and he says he's _just _19! Everybody, would you ring a round of applause for the sarcasm of the century," Killua said, and he started clapping his hands lightly, mockingly.

Surprisingly, Gon clapped his hands too, and a little more enthusiastically than what was needed for sarcasm. Akane laughed at him and his naïveté. Seeing their stares, Gon suddenly fell into a halt and asked, "Didn't he tell you to clap?"

Akane couldn't control the facepalm-urge that came rushing toward her, and with that Killua laughed heartily. Gon as well. Kurapika laughed too, but a little softer, more modest, as he covered his mouth with his hand. Leorio was turning very much beet red, but he laughed as well.

Akane's thoughts started to work with her. _Heck, maybe they are nice people to be with, very much worth the time._

* * *

But of everything and anything, what Akane hated the most was running up and down the dreaded and stupid and most hated staircases.

Akane was getting dizzy, but she told herself that she was just in the first test of the entire exam. _If you fail this one, you're a goner!_ She shouted to herself.

_But of all kinds of staircases, it had to be the long and tiring and spiralling one, right?_

Akane couldn't prepare herself, but she _did _feel it—the fuzzy feeling in her stomach, and the pillow that seemed to curl up inside of it. So when her legs finally buckled down and decided to betray her, it was only a bare feeling, that the pain didn't seem to come at all.

The blackness that swallowed her took over her completely, but she was still mentally awake. Inwardly she waited for the fall, the final end. She waited—a little too patiently, even—for the thump-thump-thump. She waited for the piercing pain, maybe a few cracked ribs or maybe an arm, maybe a damaged skull with the fall.

She expected every one of those to come, but none of them did.

And her body just suddenly shut off.

"Akane. Akane. AKANE."

It wasn't long before the voice actually started to stir her from her unconsciousness. As Akane started to awake from my sleep—caused by a bad incident—her eyelids fluttered and she tried her best to be back on normal mode. She felt like she was a newly-booted up computer, fresh and ready. (More on the ready part.) She opened her eyes to see myself and Kurapika in that very awkward position, her face being reflected in the endless blue of his.

"Ooh—shucks—God my head hurts—oh—OH SHUCKS!"

She immediately pushed herself away from contact, defensively, and, arguably rather shamefully. Her head started to spin, and she clutched it in her hands in an attempt to ignore the pain.

Her actions, meanwhile, made Kurapika scratch his head sheepishly. "I don't think you should be moving around much now," he said his voice filled of brotherly concern. He continued to stare on at her as her face contorted with the pain that hit her.

"Oh... geez… maybe I shouldn't… my head's spinning…" she murmured, weakly and painfully. Kurapika could imagine the royal headache she was having. He felt pity.

Kurapika stared at her blankly, almost unwilling to give her that hidden—yet so tempting—offer. But then he really did.

"D-do you want me to carry you?"

Akane's eyes shot up to him, a faint reddish tint on her pallid cheeks. She ordered, in the back of her mind, that her feet be filled with energy again."N-no, no, I—I'm fine," she said, struggling to get up. Kurapika took her arm and helped her stand.

They started to walk once more—not jog yet, because Akane's head was still throbbing in hurt—with Kurapika keeping a slow and patient pace with Akane. They pushed themselves forward until Akane could walk with leaning toward him, and finally they caught up to the group.

Akane gave a long, well-earned sigh of relief after it had dawned on her that they did not pass any more stairs. Of course it wasn't only Akane who sighed in relief—also Gon. Killua, however, just looked on with a look of mild irritation and indifference.

"Akane! Kurapika! I thought something happened to you!" Gon said, a worried, motherly-sounding tone evident in his voice. (Even if he was a kid.) "_Nee-san_, are you alright?"

"Alright _now_, Gon," she said with a sheepish and almost still pained grin. Akane, awkward being under Gon and Killua's heated stares suddenly, looked desperately for an attention-reliever… and she found it.

"Look, it's the exit, Gon!"

Gon turned around to see where she was pointing. He brightened up even more. "The exit!"

"What amuses you so much?" Killua asked, indifferent to the prospect.

"'Cause the exit means we're one step closer to being a Hunter! Isn't that cool?"

"…It's just an exit," Killua said with an uncaring grunt.

"We're going to be one step closer to our goal, Killua. Being a Hunter."

"Why do you want to be a Hunter so badly anyway?"

"Because my father is a hunter and I swore I'd find him! You're going to stay with me, aren't you?"

Killua just shrugged, hands in his pockets as he skated his way out of the darkness, into the light.

_Kids._


	6. A dangerous jester

**A/N: **[[updated with edited version: 23.10.11]]

Please tell me if I wrote the action scene right o3o

**Disclaimer: **Yoshihiro Togashi owns HxH

**OWC: **2,498

**A Dangerous Jester**

* * *

Kurapika stood there, watching the scene unfold in front of his eyes. Something dazzling, somehow, in the present situation, caught his wary attention. Blue eyes not exactly fearing about what will happen next, he looked around.

"He's scary," Akane whispered to Killua after having witnessed what Hisoka had successfully done. There was fear in her voice, laden under the rippling of her throat as she tried to hide behind Killua.

Indeed, it was an amazing feat for someone—anyone. And he had such a murderous aura. Kurapika could feel it all the way from where he stood, far enough, from the top of his scalp to the tip of his toes. He shuddered at the thought of it, but as a warrior he ignored that. He was strong. He had to be.

The conversation went on. Killua shrugged as if he didn't give so much damn about it. "He's got talent. I wonder what else he can do. Interesting. But not quite scary," he said pretty blankly, his tone nonchalant.

Akane's expression changed. Her eyebrows furrowed, causing creases on her porcelain-smooth forehead. "Well, Sorry for letting my emotions overwhelm me," she said sarcastically, and sauntered away from Killua. Turning her attention away from the Killua who was a bit surprised at her reaction to his statement, she saw Kurapika and went near him instead. "Kurapika?" she asked, calling his attention.

"Akane?" Kurapika glanced down into her gazing, curious sapphire eyes. Inside, though he never would've told her, not in the near future, they reminded him so much of his family, especially of his mother, that every time he looked at them, he couldn't help but reminisce. Reminisce about what he wanted to do but couldn't do. By all means, she looked so familiar to him! He wondered secretly if she realized that, if she knew she looked like _them…_

She nudged Kurapika's shoulders a little tensely. "What do you think of that weird guy?" she asked, a little panicky, pointing at the aqua-haired man who was playing silently with his cards. Then, right at that moment, he cast a very playful grin at her; and that made her hide behind Kurapika's back fearfully.

"Hisoka," Kurapika told her, very honestly, "in my opinion, is a threat. Murderous aura flying all around, he's surely something different…" he rattled off, feeling the goose bumps that rose on my arm. _Oh, you'll grow out of that, _his mind told him.

"So…what do we do?" She asked, tugging nervously on the sleeve of his long-sleeved white undershirt.

"I suggest… we just avoid him at all costs, at least most of the time." He turned to her and gave a brotherly squeeze to her trembling hand. He felt it freeze then loosen up. "That's the best thing you can do," Kurapika told her, _at the moment._ He didn't even bother look at her; he was too busy focusing at Hisoka's odd look toward them. What was he thinking?

"_Hai, hai_…" she said, in that usual boring tone children gave when parents told them that long line of orders before going to school or leaving them at home. She finally calmed down when Hisoka stopped looking at her… maniacally. "_Arigato_, Kurapika," she said, squeezed his hand and let go, running to Killua again.

Kurapika closed his eyes and let the fresh air cleanse and wash away his fears. But somehow, something continued to nibble at him. And he wondered, would he be able to return to thinking like that—innocently and carefree—after five painstaking years of carrying around a burden which he will not be able to erase unless he does the undoable? His mind wandered back to thoughts of reclaiming himself, that childish Kurapika that used to be just another of those ratty kids in their village, back in his very normal childhood past.

That was shattered into a tiny million pieces.

The next test was pretty much just another extension of the first test. The order for the examines was to run across a big, foggy, muddy marsh. However, it wasn't an ordinary run. Other than to test their endurance, it was also a test of stamina and of strength. And of course, of agility.

Kurapika had wondered what the second test would be like.

_I wonder… how it would be after it all?_

His mind wandered as he paced for the test. He wondered… would he be able to achieve what he'd always wanted to achieve in his life? _Will I be able to do what I've set myself to do for the past five years? Will I be able to save that vow I kept to myself? Will I really be able to…_

"Kurapika!" Akane called. "Can you help me?"

Kurapika turned around to see and blinked. "Oh," he said, remembering, and took Leorio back on my shoulder. He was limping, but he tried as hard as he could to keep in pace with us so that he wuld not be so much as a baggage.

Letting his mind fade away, Kurapika started to think again. He was always thinking. That time, he thought that satotsu, the examiner, was being easy on them. The marsh, however, wasn't as thinking. The mud seemed to get stickier at every step, and the fog was closing in on them. Also, the surroundings around them had to be taken note–creatures seemed to come out of nowhere and eat out candidates.

And Kurapika also had another problem. He had to stay with Leorio because he was ailed, and Akane, for that matter, for she wanted to stay with Leorio too. Leorio had a really hard time walking, and Akane and Kurapika braced him on their shoulders once in a while; sometimes alternately, sometimes at the same time.

But Kurapika's last problem was Hisoka. He was closing in on them, and if they didn't catch up to the bigger group, there was a large chance that they'd be bitten by Hisoka at their necks—literally.

Then, out of the blue, the silence was broken. "KURAPIKA! LEORIO! AKANE! KILLUA SAYS IT'S BETTER IF YOU WOULD STAY IN FRONT!" Gon's shrill, childlike voice rang out. Kurapika tried to stifle his laughter because he could almost feel the reverberating stare that came from Killua's instant reaction of, 'Oh god GON are you THAT stupid?'

"We got it, Gon!" Akane said, but then as if something stuck in her throat, she started coughing. She had a hard time breathing. "Aack!" She wheezed.

Kurapika was taken off guard. "Akane?" His eyebrows furrowed in deep concern. _It must be the fog, or the dust in the fog…_

"Hard…" Akane murmured, a pleading look in both her eyes as both her knees buckled, making her stumble and meet the ground head-first. "…I…can't…breathe!"

Kurapika immediately rushed in to help her, but of course not letting Leorio stumble too hard. He rushed to her, patting her back. "Akane? Akane…!"

She fainted in his arms.

_No, no, no… _he thought, murmuring silent prayers in his mind as he started trying to shake her awake. What about the exam, her taking of the exam, if she was to fall in this part? _Crap… _"Akane?"

Then, in that gloomy atmosphere, what they wished wouldn't happen… happened.

"Let go of her." It was a voice, teasing and mocking. Then, a shrill laugh rang throughout, like the laugh of the devil maybe.

Kurapika looked up to face the demented joker.

Hisoka.

Everything happened really, really fast.

He stared at Kurapika, eyes set on the blonde-haired and blue-eyed girl that lay limp in his arms. She was at her most vulnerable moment that time and he just couldn't give up on her. His eyes glimmered with a silent kind of evil mischief that Kurapika somehow knew could send shudders to the toughest soldier's spine.

"Let go of her," he said once more. His voice had a cackle hiding somewhere beneath it. "Or else I will…"

"Will what, Hisoka? What are you doing anyway?" Leorio asked angrily from behind Kurapika. He tried to stand as straight as he could despite the pain attacking him badly.

"I'm helping the examiners," he said. Then, he licked his lips in anticipation before letting yet another maniacal laugh ring through the air. Kurapika didn't like a single second of it. He didn't like Hisoka. "It's Judgment Day," Hisoka said. And at the very next moment, Hisoka had Akane on his shoulder. "I'll play with my doll now," he said, and winked. "Bye-bye!"

Kurapika staggered to get up on his feet and followed the trail that Hisoka left with his almost-too-fast movement. The mere movements of the leaves led the ever observant Kurapika to him. Kurapika wondered why he slowed down when he could do much faster than that. Maybe he was trying to tease Kurapika into the fight, after all. It was Akane's life in the line, in that gamble, and Kurapika just couldn't risk that.

Somehow, she was and had become really important to the distraught teenager. Just by looking at her, Kurapika had a link to his broken past.

(And by being with her, Kurapika didn't know though, he had found a link to his still-to-be-written future.)

"Akane?" Kurapika shouted in a strained and panicked voice. "Akane?"

Then, he started coughing because of the heavy, rotten-smelling sulphur that reeked in the air. He didn't know where the ugly smell came from, but he felt the pain attack his nose, throat, lungs, and even his head.

But still he _had_ to find Akane.

He was starting to get desperate. He clutched my unsheathed double kan in a grip that would mean life and death.

"HISOKA!" He tried to shout his battle song, but it came out as a hoarse cry. "BRING HER OUT!"

Kurapika's words were not even echoed by the damp air of the marsh, no little clue if someone even heard him. His vision dazed. He felt that it was turning red.

"Hiso…ka…" Kurapika tried again, but his call was barely uttered, being suffocated by the sulphur-like-stench that covered the air. "Aka—"

"AKANEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

He was cut off by the loud scream, but his delayed mind took him five whole seconds to finally register that it was Leorio. His eyes popped open, and so did his mouth, in utter surprise, and an intake of sulphur go in his throat. He coughed for a second, but dashed to where the sound came from even with it starting to burn his throat like an acid, suffocating him.

And finally he saw Akane, leaning on a thick bark of a shady tree. A thin line of blood dripped from her neck, down to trickling on her maroon sweatshirt. Her hands were rolled into fists by her white pants, and her feet trembled in her gray shoes. Her eyes were filled with fear. Kurapika tightened his already steel-strong grip on his kan, his only weapon.

Leorio ran toward Hisoka, and for someone who was having trouble earlier, he quite cunningly avoided the cards. Hisoka licked his lips, and the bulge in Leorio's throat jumped.

"You want to play with me first?" the clown asked.

Kurapika then noticed Akane suddenly crumpled down the ground, her blood now dripping to her pants. I saw the wound on her neck. Kurapika headed toward her direction, aiming to hurry and assist her, but then he was suddenly stopped by a flying card—a joker.

"No step closer," Hisoka hissed, his tone sounded purely of murderous intent, no jokes. "You're spoiling the fun."

Kurapika glared at him. _No, this can't happen. I won't allow him to._

And then, everything turned red before the avenger's eyes.

Everything happened in a dazy. Kurapika dashed, flinging his double swords at him, just as Leorio flung his small dagger. They fought like animals. Hisoka was fast, faster than anything. He avoided all their attacks. They knew it was vain. Yet they continued. Kurapika and Leorio tried hard to search for openings. There were almost none. Hisoka was a good fighter, and that much both of them could tell. He swung his swords with all his might.

_I have to fight with him. I will make him pay for what he did to Akane._

Something in the back of his mind told him that no matter what would happen to him, he had to protect her. He could swear that all his being—his thoughts, mind, and soul—even if he didn't understand why, shouted that she was his only link to the forgotten heritage of the past he had left behind for vengeance. And despite the strong bitterness and pain the memories brought, he knew it was real. So he continued to battle.

It was like avenging what he couldn't protect before.

Sword met card, sword met flesh. Clash, clash – the sword blades met at some point. Everything was too quick; the human eyes would not be able to follow. He used his mind before every attack – sense him, differentiate his actions from Leorio's. Hisoka's was fast. Leorio's was a bit staggered and tired, incapacitated by the sulphur and his lack of stamina.

_Attack at the right moment._

When Leorio attacked, Kurapika stood to wait for an opening, making only minor hits to empty air. It was almost like they were synchronized, like a dance. There were times that Hisoka was by a hair's breadth close to Kurapika, but for some reason that escaped him, he just couldn't hit the sick clown. The jester was literally playing tricks to their eyes.

The sulphur stench reeked more in the air, and Kurapika then only realized they were jumping to a creature. He leapt away, avoiding the creature's huge mouth. None of them got hurt. The battle continued.

One strike, Leorio's dagger hit Hisoka's hair. Two, Kurapika almost hit his wrist. Three, both of them almost hit his chest. But there wasn't any proper hit, none fatal enough to incapacitate him.

Then, everything was shortly paused as a newcomer stepped in. "LEORIO! KURAPIKA! AKANE!" Gon's voice called from a distance. "AKANE!" He dashed toward Akane, and Leorioa and Kurapika got the meta-message – _distract Hisoka._

Kurapika continued the battle with Hisoka, but soon he stopped too. Kurapika and Leorio tensed, knowing that chance that he might just decide to pounce on Gon instead for not respecting his _doll. _Kurapika and Leorio raised their daggers in preparation. They watched Hisoka. He was talking to his phone.

Then he just grinned. "…Ja ne!" he said, and that was the only thing Kurapika could catch in his unintelligible murmur before he finally hopped away.

And finally after the long decisive battle, Kurapika dashed to Akane, eyes bent with concern. "Akane?"

Akane's eyelids fluttered open. "Kurapika, I'm…fine…" she forced to say, and smiled. "Thanks."

Kurapika smiled at her, and gave a gentle, brotherly squeeze on her right hand. "Don't worry," he said. It was a halfway lie. "It'll be over soon."

How it hurt him to lie to someone he had just tried to protect.


	7. More than Just the Kitchen

**A/N: **Please excuse all fail attempts at humor, for I do not know how to write humor.

("It's harder to make people laugh than to weep in this sad, sad world." ~Jose Y. Dalisay Jr.)

**Disclaimer: **Yoshihiro Togashi knows how to cook. And own HxH.

**OWC: **3,434 words

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

**MORE THAN JUST THE KITCHEN**

* * *

**[Kurapika's POV]**

"Up we go."

I bent down and carried Akane on my back after Gon had applied basic first aid on her. Gon had tied a handkerchief—one which had been tied at the edge of his fishing rod to give him an easier grip—around the still fresh and open wound to stop the bleeding and to keep it from infections they might encounter in the marsh. I could only thank the heavens for the miracle as we reached the second test site safely.

But of course it wasn't only I who was drowning with thanks to whatever savior in the cosmos existed that had saved her—and all of them. Inside, I somehow knew, that although Akane looked like she had completely forgotten about it, she was drop-dead grateful that she had been saved. Her hold tightened around Kurapika's neck, whispering a silent _thank you, _her hesitance betraying that she was not exactly sure if I had heard it right or heard it at all. But I did and I smiled.

When we approached the two steel doors that hid the next exam behind it—the sight not really aesthetic—I immediately felt Akane tense on my back, but I couldn't be sure if she just wanted the exam so badly or she was scared. I put Akane down by a nearby tree and she sighed in relief. But she didn't just let go of my neck that easily. She held onto me, feeling the strength return to her legs. I bent down so that she would not have that hard a time.

"Thank you," she murmured to my ear, breath warm on my skin.

I smiled. "Of course."

And after that, we waited, probably at least fifteen more minutes, sitting just there in utter silence between ourselves. I had made a move to talk to Leorio, but the conversation got boring so I left him alone to sit near Akane, but not too near. Gon was busy with Killua doing something to the trees nearby. But Akane had not made any move to socialize with the people around her; she just sat there, cradled by the roots of the tree, decaying and old, feeling one with the earth as she took a deep breath.

The air smelled like freshly baked bread in the morning, like flour and sugar in one little sweet bunch dabbed in chocolate syrup. I knew that Akane was hungry and that she wasn't going to deny that. She looked at her hands and she thought she would see scars from the scrapings she had gotten from the rough roots, but she didn't. Akane felt like hallucinating, she thought she could smell food in the air. The scent of rice wine permeated in the air, attacking her senses.

_Wait, rice wine in a place like this?_

And then, as quickly as the scent had gone up in the air only to disintegrate with it, the two heavy steel gates in a giant, parking-lot like compound opened, its metal scraping against the solid, cemented grounds, making a screeching noise that hurt some of the participant's ears. Akane, who had finally decided to go to me, leaned toward me, wincing, covering her strained and probably over-sensitive ears.

It took only few seconds for the gate to successfully open before them all. And when they did, the examinees saw two odd figures—but of humans, this time.

One was of a giant man—_that looks like a pathetic baby,_ I added in my mind—with a bulging stomach that seemed to catch most of the attention of the examinees. Meanwhile, the other was a woman with long and frizzy pink hair tidied in two high ponytails, wearing some kind of fancy suit and fishtail-leggings. They were certainly an odd duo.

The big baby—err, man—stood behind the woman who was lounging comfortably on a couch as if they weren't proctoring an exam. "So, these are the candidates, Menchi?" the big man yawned, his big hole of a mouth gaping open, releasing air into the outside world. And as he yawned, the trees outside swayed a little.

"So I see," the woman said, and turned to the candidates with criticising eyes, sharp like an eagle's eyes. She had a rebellious-teenager-mischief look on her young, young face. "My name is Menchi, and this is Buhara," she said, addressing all of the candidates present. "And we will be your examiners for the second test," she said.

Everybody kept silent, wishing for her to continue. I gulped down the bad feeling that had clogged up my throat, telling myself that I'll face it when I get there.

"And we," she paused, a grin making its way to her mouth. "Are culinary hunters."

_Cooking?_ I thought curiously. _What exam is this?_

From where Akane stood beside me, she gasped "FOOD?" under her breath, a grin playing silently on her lips.

The first order was given by the big man named Buhara. He looked toward the heavens as if he was thinking of something really hard and deep to ask the candidates of, even if he had long thought of it before. "Mmm…" he said, thinking, and licked at his lips in a less creepy manner than how Hisoka did it. "I like nothing more than probably a roasted Great Sta—" he stopped, watching a parade of giant pigs run to our right. "—mp. That one."

All contestants, Akane included, suddenly ran off after the stamps/pigs. I was quick to eye a sickly, staggering one, half-hoping that that one would fit the big man's appetite even if less healthy.

I snorted. _I think _anything_would be okay in the big man's appetite._

At first, I watched how the others successfully used different tactics to take down the Stamp, while chasing after the individual I found. That prey was mine alone. And I found out that only one technique out of so many worked—and that was ramming your foot into the stamp's giant yet vulnerable forehead.

From the corner of his eye, I saw Akane suddenly come out like a ninja from her hideout in the trees. She swept her yellow locks away from face, and then suddenly threw a kick that was just slightly too strong for a girl her age and her size into one of the Stamps' almightily large head. Caught off guard, my jaw almost dropped unconsciously. She saw me and she flashed a cheeky grin in his direction. Two words were mouthed by Akane—_Martial Arts._ Suddenly, everything made sense to me, as I clapped my mouth shut, trying to save face.

I decided not to waste any more time and I followed her example. I went head-on to the charging stamp and made him fall with three hits of my sheathed _kan, _along with five kicks and two punches to his forehead. (Blame me for being paranoid; I was thinking, '_What if he doesn't fall? I MUST KICK HIT PUNCH oh there he's gone.'_)

And when I saw the stamp fall, I rushed to it and made sure it wasn't breathing. It wasn't, and that was my cue to sigh in relief. And when I was sure that it was dead, I looked at the creature, my eyebrows tingling.

_And how in the seven seas will I cook you?_

I walked around, back to the exam site, the great stamp I had caught in tow. As I was walking, I saw this curious patch of weeds and decided to prepare it right there. I dumped the creature there. I plucked some of the palm leaves and rolled the creature carefully in it. Needing fire, I rubbed two stones I had found nearby like I was some kind of old caveman, and soon I got the pig steamed… roasted…

…burned.

Tossing water to the burning stamp from the lake, I got the pig out of the fire. I wiped the sweat off my face. Would my salty sweat add flavour to it? I dragged the giant pig, using the huge leaves underneath it, to get it toward the big man. And Buhara the baby-man chewed the pig – almost even the bones – completely and tossed the remains away.

Later, he said everybody successfully passed his side of the test.

The beating in my heart slowed. That was Part A of Test 2 finished. Part B was just about to begin…

"Mmph. Why are you being so EASY on them, Buhara?" Menchi sighed, annoyed. She turned to all of us, and said, "Now you'll never know who of them really deserve to be professional Hunters. It's a heavy duty, you know? Tsk!" She leaned toward us and stared us down. "This, anyway, will probably take the sucky ones out." She grinned a devilish grin. "You… are going to cook for me Sushi."

When everybody remained silent, she continued, "The materials needed are in each of the respective stations, and they contain every single thing you might or might not need for the preparation. There are also basic ingredients there," _But the ingredients needed for finer tastes are not given. _The underlying message was obvious, I could see it in plain sight.

Everybody nodded, the question of _how _to cook sushi ringing in their heads.

"Here's a clue, it's fish. That's it," Menchi said, clapping her hands. "Your test starts now."

Akane walked determinedly toward one of the stations, and eyed the ingredients and stuff. I did the same. "Rice, knives of different sizes, a Scaling knife, and a chopping board. Definitely fish," she announced.

Personally, I had no utter idea what _Sushi _is. I grew up in a valley that lived on crops, barely any fish except those that came from the rivers nearby. But wasn't Sushi made out of sea fishes? Where were we supposed to find things like that here?

"Aww, and I thought this Sushi crap was made of chocolate," Killua groaned, frustrated.

"Chocolate?" Leorio asked, surprised. "Seriously, did you hear her? She said FISH. FISH, Killua. F-I-S-H. Let's see you try mix Chocolate with Fish, Killua, and make it taste right."

"I'm not stupid, Leorio," Killua said, but hissed under his breath – "not like you."

Ignoring the Killua and Leorio, who were fighting again for the stupidest of reasons, and Gon, playing with the knives, I turned and saw Akane with the knife and a long thread attached to it. "Where are you going?" When I stared at it, I realized it was a few strands of her long hair and a few threads of her maroon shirt, braided into a long, sturdy mini-rope.

"Fishing," she said, and walked out. "You should, too."

And I did what she told me to. I followed her promptly with my own knife in my hand, becoming even more aware, as the blade glinted under the sunlight, that my hands were actually shivering.

She headed out, straight to the river. The river sat between an open field and the woods, the trees—some of them different species or breeds of bamboo—bent over to the river, as if they were trying to get a sip. The river itself was crystal clear, reflecting with innocence and purity, like a crystal itself, the sky above. The rocks that formed the bed of the river were dark, shady, some dark green and some almost black already, and there were fish. A lot of fish that they were just a tad too easy to be caught.

Akane dragged me toward her. "There's good fish here, see. But…" she nibbled at her lower lip, her free right hand twiddling with the make-do rope.

"But?" I asked her, begging her, somehow, to continue what she was saying..

"I don't know how to … kill a fish," she said, the last three words almost a bit too hesitantly that needed, and I was feeling the "I-am-so-stupid" mental message radiating out of her body. I looked at her curiously.

I smiled. "I can do it for you, you know."

"But it will be cheating!" She said.

"How?" I asked, staring at the river, looking at the gray-scaled fishes that swam by as if there was no problem in the world, as if there was no threat that two or more of them would be killed in an instant. By me—I'm a merciless killer, I should be, for I am an avenger, and this was only my training ground.

She pouted at me, her face asking on its own, _Are you actually really asking me that?_ "One, this is supposed to be individual, right?"

"But I want to help you as a friend, and you can help me, too," I told her, trying to defend my cause, and her face went blank as if she was considering my offer.

And then she finally responded to me. She cocked her head slightly to the side. "Help you? How?"

I grinned sheepishly, my moment of weakness about to be revealed to her. "I've never really caught a fish right, ever."

She laughed in gleeful delight, her laughter sounding like little bells pealing under the sunlight, from a church somewhere. "Maybe you could ask Gon for that."

I raised an eyebrow. She suddenly looked suspicious to me. _How… _"How did you know?"

She clamped her hands on her mouth, as if she had said something she shouldn't have, then took them away after a few. "I… uhh… considering his huge fishpole…"

I sensed that she did not want to talk about it, and I wasn't the person to mess around with her for some useless information. Besides, time was running, slipping like sand between our fingers. There wasn't much to waste. "Right," I said, and took the knife. "Can I do the first try?"

"Sure," she said.

I saw a wriggling fish and aimed at it, but, like I told her about my fishing skills, it escaped. "Not good. Not even." I returned the knife.

"Me next!" She said excitedly, and then, carelessly, recklessly, and almost as if thoughtlessly, she tossed the knife on the water and pulled the thread. There was a fish, around the size of both of her palms put together, wriggling at the end of the line. It was too fast for me to see the entire thing, it was as if I had just blinked and then, ta-da, Akane had a fish!

"Nice catch," I said, and removed the knife out from the fish's body. It wriggled, but I kept it down with my hand against its cold scales. "A-are you sure you want to see this?"

"I need to learn," she said, in a stubborn, determined voice that I've never heard from her. I winced a little, for it was a bit unfamiliar to hear it from her. And then, her voice went back to normal, comforting me. "Besides, it's just a fish. I'm sure I should be able to face bigger things that killing a stupid fish in the future, huh?"

"Okay," I said, and pushed the fish to her. "I want you to hold the middle part of the fish." She held the body firmly in her hands, just the way I told her to. "Thanks," I said, then went immediately to work.

I took the knife, brandished it, and then made quick, clean strokes to remove the belly. Her face, as she stared, was screaming some kind of, _Oh my god, you killed the poor fish! Are you kidding me or something?_ But all I could do to respond to it was to grin. "I told you, you wouldn't wanna see this."

"N-no… I can still…stand this…It's just fish…ugh…" she said, watching silently as I removed the fish's blood red gills.

"Look…" I started to tell her, handing the fish in her hands, "if you don't want it, I can leave myself to my own skills," I said, not really understanding what I said.

"S-sorry… I was just shocked…" she said, and took the fish. "Do your stuff," she said.

We did the entire process another time, and this time she even volunteered to remove the gills. She did it with careful hands but she successfully did her goal and she giggled. She washed her hands in the clear stream, letting whatever blood rinse out. Then, she smiled at me—she faced her disgust to killing the fish!

I smiled at her, feeling slightly proud for a reason that I could not explain. I stood up and said, "To our sushi?"

"To our sushi," she nodded. "Whatever it may be."

When we returned to our stations, I took my fish to the chopping board and, after removing the scales from it, sliced it into small rectangular pieces. Not knowing what to do, I wrapped the fish slice in the bread and then dipped it in the salty substance of liquid. _Maybe this is Sushi. _

I presented it to Menchi, and to my nerve-wracking horror, she said, "Not even close." But what was I to be surprised? I had utterly no idea what sushi looked like. Trying to close my mouth which had gaped open, an at-wit's-end expression crawling over my face, I shook it off and proceeded to my cooktop.

"Not that?" Akane asked, peering at my workstation as she busied herself.

"'Not even close,'" I said, mocking Menchi, sarcastically.

"Aww, and I thought…" she trailed off, looking at the round ball in her hands, white as snow. It was sticky rice dipped in rice-wine. "Next plan," she said, and bit the ball.

Somehow it just took a bit too long. We experimented on the rice and the fish, and how we would present it. We rolled it, placed the fish on top, and almost all possible maybe, that passed on our sushi-clueless minds.

But none of our stupid guesses were correct.

Oh, and Menchi was getting full. We had to do it quickly.

And then, we were all interrupted from our trials with a loud noise. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" I heard her bellowing scream, coming from deep into her diaphragm, all the way up to her lungs, full with her power.

All eyes turned to the bellowing Menchi, who in turn saw the mesmerized Hanzo, the bald 'ninja', who was scared out of his skin. But he continued to argue with her, his pride getting in the way with rationality.

"THIS IS CRAP! I'M TELLING YOU THIS IS THE EXACT RECIPE, RAW FISH ON TOP OF VINEGAR-DIPPED RICE—" Hanzo suddenly stopped, realizing what he had done.

_Fish on top of Vinegar-dipped rice, _I chanted in my hand and quickly did what Hanzo said and, with the rest of the candidates, all at the same time, showed our dishes to Menchi. There was fear in Buhara's eyes, and somehow I knew that he knew what was going to happen next.

"NO, NO, NO!" She shouted, throwing all the dishes aside. There was a loud crashing noise that we couldn't help hear, our ears hurting. "YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU!" She pointed angrily, as if drunk. "YOU FAIL! YOU ALL DO! YOU ALL FAIL!"

Outstanding silence ensued between all the candidates that formed the crowd.


	8. Change of Heart

******A/N: **Thought about playing with Killua's head once in a while. Interesting xD

Yu-Gi-Oh! fans will be familiar with the title of the chapter. Muhahaha.

**DISCLAIMER: **Yoshihiro Togashi (c) Hunter x Hunter

**OWC: **4,205

* * *

**Chapter 08**

**Change of Heart**

* * *

**[Killua's Pov]**

"YOU ALL FAIL!"

The resounding shriek of the examiner effectively silenced every single examinee. The rustling and hustling from earlier skidded into a halt, a cold, indescribable pause. No one was actually expecting this; not even me, the one who was supposed to know or at least have a clue to everything that will happen, ten steps ahead. Not that I actually cared too much if I failed, because the Hunter Exam for me, was just another 'kill the time and boredom' game, anyway. But I did realize the others would _mourn _for this. They had their own – no matter how pathetic – reasons.

And from where I stood in my station, I could see Kurapika's look turn into one of disbelief, Akane's face scream _no way in hell _as she mouthed it, Gon turn down to the floor in utter sadness, and Leorio's eyes almost fall out of its sockets.

Not one of them was pleased, and I could say that again, I knew.

And then suddenly, Menchi, as if nothing was wrong in the world, suddenly went back into some sort of "normal mode," Buhara looking at her curiously, cautiously. Lots of things transpired as some of the applicants still had their jaws wide open. I didn't pay much attention, but I noticed her move around giddily as if trying to ignore the fact that she had failed every single examinee in this year. She continued to try her best to entertain the still baffled examinees with a certain weed she was bragging about.

The answer was no, if you were asking. It was not entertaining.

And then, after she was done explaining with much gusto, after everything was finished, what she had said on a final note dropped like a bomb. "Okay, that's it for this year. Out. _Failures."_

I washed my hands in the faucet and promptly took my skateboard, letting it drop to the ground below me. I was more than ready to go. With a sigh, I pushed the ground with little effort, making me move. I didn't think the exam was THIS pathetic.

I was smart enough to follow her orders of course, accordingly and with more enthusiasm than the others with me. I lead the pack and they followed after me, walking one-by-one, with not much excitement in their step.

I looked around and sighed. _Damn, they've already failed us and all. Are they actually planning to send us back the way we came from? They could have at least shown a shortcut out of the damn marsh from hell._

Another sigh escaped my lips for a reason I could not explain. _Or at least a bar of chocolate._

"Killua!" Akane called, and I turned around only to see that she had already wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me from behind something like a cat would have done. Her voice had a tone of a whine in it. She hung limply on my neck, and I had to stop the skateboard to prevent dragging her with me.

"What is it?" I asked her with an uncaring voice, trying to show her my disinterest.

"This is unfair," she murmured into my collar, and I could tell that she was trying to hold back her tears. I edged a little and she took off her hands from my neck, proceeding to walk by my side instead. She sighed. "This is just plain stupid. I did not run miles just to be failed by raw fish."

I shrugged. As pointless as it seemed to be in the situation, somehow I saw that she still had a point on that. I slid my hands in my pockets. I still had not spoken a word of answer to her, and I knew she would soon come looking for an answer.

And look she did.

She looked down to the ground and drunk a mouthful of air. She might as well sigh it out of her. "How cold of you," she told me, and she was glaring at the ground. Obviously the knife-sharp glare should have been directed to me, but Akane was being an angel again. "And I thought you'd care to comfort Gon."

"What's his problem isn't mine to mess with, if it isn't his to share," I said simply, my voice remaining monotone, but I could say I would falter soon enough. There was some kind of thing that happened to me whenever anything concerned Gon. It wasn't overprotectiveness either, but I could not put a word to it. I was not a writer.

"Heartless!" Akane shouted, and I was caught off guard with her sudden statement. I looked at her with raised eyebrows, trying to get a reason for her sudden accusation. "Killua, what is wrong with you? And I thought you've changed!" Her hands were fists by her sides, ready to punch me if her control wavered, and, glare finally pointed at me, there were three seconds of thick tension before she throttled off in the opposite direction.

Her voice echoed in my head, like it was in a chamber, bouncing around in the dark walls, eating me up, before they finally crumbled against me.

_Changed._

_I thought... you've changed._

For what?

_I thought…_

_I thought…_

I couldn't take it any longer, either. I took a deep, longing, solemn breath, trying to calm my raging thoughts, and her words that were bouncing off the caverns of my bloody mind. I took another one, feeling the cool air from the marsh invade my lungs, clearing me, somehow.

"Akane…?"

"What. Do. You. Want?" she stressed each and every word, trying to shove in my face that she was not pleased with the words that had flown out of my mouth. She was leaning on a tree, and the shadow from the leaves hid her facial expression from my sight. Even her bangs helped her conceal whatever was in those eyes, so I couldn't guess or anything.

I bit my bottom lip for half a second, trying to calm down my nerves. I had that urge to do something to her, probably get her out of the anger by going one-on-one on her. But I knew better. "I-I'm sorry," I said, hopeless as I am on the prospect of apologizing. "I guess that was insensitive of me. _Really _stupid. I didn't mean to, I just—"

"Killua," she interrupted my awkward sayings. "I know that's how you are, so you don't need to apologize. You can just do better with it," she said, pointing to where Gon was. There was a certain hardness in her voice, but I could feel the sympathy and care in it. "Now go."

I smiled at her, that first friendly, whole-hearted smile I believed I've ever given. I looked at her and in her, I saw that she was the sibling I've at long last wished for, that non-assassin love that was shared in a family, but not necessarily romantically.

And then, noting the glow in her eyes, I ran off to Gon.

"Gon!"

He didn't even bother to look up. He was either completely absorbed in his thoughts, or he was ignoring me on conscious purpose. I poked him in his temple gently with my index finger, trying to nudge him and call his attention.

"Gon."

"'There's always next year,'" He said with a bitter tone prevalent in his voice. His adam's apple bobbed once, twice, and I knew he was swallowing down screams of either anger or sadness that ate him away. Gon was good at keeping calm that time. "Killua, that's what they always say! But I can't wait any longer! I want to find my father!"

And from where I sat, just beside him, I could sense the determination mingling in with the sadness that burned within him. It was heartbreaking, in a way. I looked at him with pitiful eyes and I wondered, what could a killer like me do for an innocent child like him? What could I do?

"Goodness befalls only on the good," Kurapika said, breaking the awkward, icy silence between the two of us. He wanted to comfort Gon too, in his own little smarty-pants way like he always does. I looked at him in amazement. And I thought he'd be too busy moping as well.

And then, an interruption that I was long looking for suddenly came along. And boy, was it a useful interruption. "Killua! Gon! Kurapika!" Akane called, running like the wind right beside Leorio.

When Leorio caught his breath, he said, "Look up!"

And I turned my head up only to have my keen eyes catch the blimp that flew overhead. And from where I was, what stood out from the pack of clouds and sky and huge blimp was the very, very prominent symbol imprinted on the blimp's massive air-pocket.

The Hunter insignia.

I must have spaced out a moment too long to forget about it. Kurapika, with his quick reflexes, covered Akane's mouth when he realized a giant dust cloud was to come. We both knew—he just acted faster, okay?—that it would have been even harder if Akane got an attack at that time. How could I forget? Akane's eyes widened with the sudden gesture, but they returned to normal when the realization hit her in the face. Kurapika took off his hand when the dust finally settled, and Akane coughed slightly.

And, just like magic, out of the dust, an old man was revealed.

"Chairman Netero!" Menchi shouted. In her voice, there was some kind of…surprise? "How do you do, sir?"

_Netero?_ I wondered, staring at the gray-bearded man. I let go of Gon's shoulder and stood up to see the scene clearer from my perspective, so that I wouldn't be hidden by the trees and the other applicants. I thought about it again. _Wait... __The old geezer's the head of the Hunter Association?_

The old man did not even blink. "I heard you failed this year's batch," he said to her. I winced, slightly, in my head. Did he care the least for his examiner or what? _Straight to the point, bull's-eye. _Menchi blinked, trying her hardest to look like an innocent kid.

I chuckled darkly. She was horrible at it, and she was failing it.

"They did not successfully complete the test, Chairman," Menchi said, after swallowing silently. It almost sounded defensive—Wait, what? Now she was trying to defend herself for what she did? What was wrong with her?

It was so easy to miss, but I since kept a good and weary eye at him, I caught his slight reaction to her statement—Netero's left eyebrow twitched. "And what have you asked them?"

"Sushi, sir," Menchi said, sounding really hoarse and obviously forcing on the formalities. She obviously didn't like sitting on the hot seat—who liked to?

"Do they have any initial idea about it?"

Menchi swallowed her saliva. She ran her tongue between her lips, before biting at her lower lip quickly. Obviously she did not like having conversations like this one with the chairman.

But of course, she would remain firm with her decision. She was the examiner after all.

_Girls, _I thought.

"Chairman, I have revealed the most important fact about it that it is made of fish, and the other ingredients—if not distinct—have been laid out to them," she told the man. "But there was one examinee—that bald ninja over there—that knew how this was prepared. He revealed the ingredients to the other examinees, sir. It does not matter whether it was intentional or by accident it had slipped out of his **large** mouth," she explained. She stressed the word _large _as she looked over to Hanzo. "That was the initial cause of the overall failure."

_Meh, _I thought. My hands made their way to get woven behind my head like a net. _Admit it, you blew your fuse that's why we all failed._

The man nodded, stroking his long beard in quiet thought. Finally, after seconds of tension that embraced all the examinees, and even Menchi, Chairman Netero gave the final decision that held all hope on a tiny horsetail string.

"Give them another chance," he said. Silence answered him, begged him to continue, the earnest wish of the examinees, and he clarified, "Given you do the exam too."

A gleam lit up in Gon's once-darkened face.

"Pardon, sir?" Menchi asked, a little confused at what the Chairman had just told her.

"Redo the test," the Chairman said again. "But this time, you would have to do it too, so that it would be believable."

Menchi paused, and then finally nodded. "Agreed." She looked around, and then finally went on with what she needed. "Chairman, please bring us to that mountain." She pointed at a faraway mountain.

And so he did.

The feat was no less than amazing for the other examinees—to me, it was but an easy stunt. Examiner had jumped down the cliff, held on to the white, net-like string that went from one side to the other, grabbed two of the eggs in the bunch, waited for the wind, and then let go and went up with it. She had grinned mischievously at the examinees, holding the egg cautiously like itw as made out of gold.

"All you have to do is retrieve the Spider Eagle eggs," Menchi said, juggling the two said eggs she had grabbed earlier. "Pretty easy, no? Easier than Sushi, of course; you don't even need to use your head," she hissed under her breath.

One-by-one, starting with Gon, the examinees jumped down the cliff with excitement. Gon was followed by Akane, then Kurapika, then Leorio, me, then Tompa. There was tension in the air as the flat up at the top the mountain started to run out of people. Some was carried by the strong draft; some, only their terrified screams.

I swung through the strong ropes of web, finding the bunch with the most eggs—I'm picky and I'm greedy, after all—and then waited for the draft. When it came, I let go, and as easily as a dried leaf I was carried into the air, then I grabbed Gon's hand when I saw him. I landed feet-first in the ground, sharing ear-to-ear grins with Gon.

"Wasn't that easy?" I asked Gon, and he only nodded.

He stared at the egg. "I wonder what this tastes like. I mean, this _is _a delicacy, right?"

I just nodded to him and looked around the surroundings wearily. _Where is Akane? _And when I turned once more, she really wasn't there, with not a single sign of her, her long blonde hair nor her maroon sweatshirt.

Quickly as that, I heard a bloodcurdling scream.

* * *

And when I looked down, she was there, furiously fighting for her life. Her right hand clung on to the white silken threads like there was no tomorrow, while her left hand—along with her entire body—was being dragged down by a really heavy weight.

Who else could it be but Tompa.

"Let go of him!" I told her, blood pulsating in my veins. Oh, how annoyed was I of him; how easily also could I rip out his intestines, then let it fall like a rope down the cliff to save Akane.

And then, the anger turned, suddenly, to Akane. What was she doing, stupidly holding on to him? Did she actually want to save that guy's pathetic life? Did her compassion actually reach levels that far and that nonsensical?

"He won't let go," Akane shouted in desperation. She clasped her left hand open to prove her point, and I saw that it was only him clinging on, after all. The sudden intake of air with her speech made her eyes widen in shock. She coughed. I started to get worried."Air–too–thick!" She managed to blurt out, right before she started to wheeze angrily, coughing fits shaking her whole body. It must've been something from the bottom.

_The draft that's supposed to carry them up! _I suddenly remembered.

"Akane let go of the string! The draft is going to carry you up!" I screamed, not caring anymore if the other applicants still down the cliff heard me or not. Who would care about two to five more people in the exam, if Akane herself couldn't get through with it?

_What the hell are you saying._

I saw Akane try to, but then the draft died down and Tompa started pulling like a madman on her already-pale wrist, and she was on the brink of falling into unconsciousness. I was panicking, panicking on what I should do in that moment, and there was a bad urge in my head that told me to kill Tompa in that instant. I saw Akane battle her impulse to suddenly lose consciousness—gal had the sense to stay awake in a situation like that. (And if she _had _let go, of the string and her consciousness, she wouldn't be able to pass the exam dead either, hmm?) But her breathing had become laboured, and she was coughing like hell. Tompa wasn't much of a help, either.

_She's going to die._

My assassin self suddenly woke up, and it was teasing me.

_She's going to fall into the current._

**'Shut. Up.'** My hands were clenched at my sides and I felt my blood boiling at the sound of my assassin self's voice. How I hated him!

_Her bones will be crushed with speed only beatable by you._

_She's going to fade away…_

**'SHUT UP!'**

_Oh yes she will… but you're used to death, aren't you? Every single day of your past life, you've bathed in the smell of blood and it had always made you lucid. Wasn't death your high? Wasn't the idea of letting someone let go of life and be in a place where they belong… wasn't that so amazing? Why don't you dwell in that glory?_

_You are the bringer of death, after all…_

* * *

**"YOU ARE NOT DYING ON ME, AKANE!"**

I jumped off the cliff, managing myself down the vines of white filaments. I was still ten feet too far from Akane when suddenly Tompa jumped—fat and all jingling up and down with his sudden motion—after letting go of Akane's wrist. He was carried up by the draft that lasted a mere few seconds. But before he was carried up—damn bastard hadn't had enough torture time just holding on to her for so long—he made the girl let go of the thread with a swift tap to her hand, and she fell into her mind's own oblivion, headed toward the river's speeding current.

"Oh shit!"

And it came too fast, everything came too fast like it was on fast forward:

The wind blew back my hair, biting at the surface of my eyes. My clothes rustled, fabric hitting my skin, like whips—a familiar sensation. And then, suddenly, like a jet plane, a nose dive straight to target, and the next moment, all I could ask myself was…"And how did I get in _this _situation again?"

I hung on the same thread of spider-eagle silk that Akane had hung onto a few seconds back with my right hand, and on my left I grasped her waist. I did not have any clue how I got there with such a velocity. I was breathing hard and I felt like I had run a sprint. Thrice.

[What amazed me was that she was two or three inches taller than me, and she's much older than me ('This obaa-san…' my mind joked, even if it wasn't time for jokes), but she felt as light as a feather in my arms.]

I raised her up to the point that I wasn't carrying her by the waist, but she draped on my back like a sack of potatoes. I breathed deep breaths, waiting for the draft, and then, it came and I jumped lightly, up, up, til I reached the top.

I put her on the ground nearest, and Gon rushed over to her. He was sputtering out some questions but they faded away like the air pressure below when he saw Akane. I just answered him with blank nods and hoped that he got the point that I wasn't really paying attention. He tended to Akane, tried to wake her up.

I took an egg from my bundle, cradled it in my hands, and told her, while she was still unconscious: "This is your egg now." I made her hand run through it and I walked over to dump it in the pot where everybody was boiling their eggs. I waited a few minutes, then I put my hand in the water (I had gotten used to heated substances) and took it out. As I walked back to the still-unconscious Akane, I shook it, cooled it for a few seconds, but later put it on the skin on face.

She sputtered to life, blue eyes searching.

* * *

"So what really happened?"

She'd been asking me the same question for twenty times or more, over and over again. She seemed to have entirely forgotten what happened—or probably, she was unable to make a memory from being unconscious to now. She helplessly nibbled on her spider-eagle egg—still believing that the egg was hers and not mine, but I did not and will not ever tell her that it wasn't—waiting for me to tell her something helpful.

It was either that, or she was just playing with me, and I was just idiosyncrasiously (if such degree of idiosyncrasy exists) playing along.

What the hell did she expect me to tell her?

"Akane," I sighed. I had lost count how many times I've answered her with that beginning. "You were there, Tompa was there, and you lost consciousness."

"So then what _really _happened?" she asked again, but seeing my paper blank reaction, she decided to—finally, after so many trials to getting her to—clarify. "Why am I _here _and _passed _the test if I was in the _blasted _river?"

I grinned. _She got it at last! _A dark smirk started to crawl uncontrollably through my face. "Let's just say that an amazing, white-haired superman came to save the _purrty_ princess." I managed to make a comical face for the comical word _purrty_ for pretty. She giggled slightly—but I couldn't be sure if it was because of my face or because of the word I used in the sentence.

"Right," she said, sweeping her hair off her shoulder. She took a deep breath, the smile finally making its way to her face comfortably. "Tell superman the princess says thanks."

"Superman says it's no prob, it's his job after all, even if he doesn't get paid," I said. She grinned at me and I only winked back, then I went out of the room to get a breath of fresh air. Kurapika entered the room slightly after I left.

And as I walked out, headed to no exact place, I pondered at how ironic life really was. My first job was taking lives, now the job is saving lives.

I chuckled at the dark thought.


	9. Surprises around the Corner

**A/N: **Hunter x Hunter (c) Yoshihiro Togashi!

**OWC: **3,641

* * *

**Chapter 09**

**Surprises around the Corner**

* * *

The sun beat dangerously, angrily against the thin, glistening layer of sweat that rested on her skin. It had been almost an hour since the Chairman's airship had put the examinees down atop a giant tower they couldn't just figure out, and they've been looking for a way down. The five of them friends stood silently, broodily, by the edge of the tower, in a little circle, looking at the distance and the height that they would have to traverse, wondering how the in the world they would manage to get down from the top. Really, it was just the _how _that seemed to escape them.

"Speaking of intolerable abysses," Akane grumbled. She held her knees as she tipped her head down to look down the tower, to the trees that were like tiny insects and the sand that was at the base of the tower. As a shudder run down her spine—free-falling had given her quite some danger recently—she retreated and sighed. "We're probably ten thousand feet and more above the ground."

Killua nodded. "And it's not a good idea to climb down." He said, pointing at a tree where a group of cannibalistic, man-eating birds were halfway-done feasting on a proud rock-climber who decided, much earlier, that climbing down the tower that was more effective. Akane turned away from the sight, nausea building up at the back of her throat. She put out her tongue in disgust.

"Delicious lunch," she said sarcastically, frowning, and Killua rolled his eyes, a faint smile on his face.

Kurapika, hands in his sides, tapped his foot against the ground. He seemed to be thinking through the entire problem deeper than the rest of them. "Surely, there must be a trap door that would lead us inside," he said, looking around for clues but finding none in easy sight. "If there's no way down from the outside, it's most likely from the inside. The test would make more sense that way."

Gon, Leorio, Akane, and Killua nodded in thought, trying to catch his train. They looked around consciously on the floor where they were standing on. And then suddenly, almost at the same exact time, all of them noticed something with the people they were with.

"Kurapika," Akane started, weighing the possibilities. Her voice was soft and almost whisper-gentle. "The number of participants…"

"I know," he said. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked one more time around again just to be sure. "They've decreased."

"What?" Leorio asked, out of surprise. He started counting with his eyes, only to be surprised even more afterwards. "You're right, there's only half the amount of people here!"

"They must've used several different doors," Kurapika concluded. "It's better if we search for other doors. We don't want to run out of choices. Let's separate; the bigger space we occupy, the better."

And that's exactly what they did. Gon and Killua went together, while Akane, Kurapika, and Leorio went their own ways. They started tapping around for a few minutes, and then suddenly Gon called them. "Leorio! Kurapika! Akane!"

The three immediately went to their call. "Yeah?"

"We found a way to go down," Gon stated simply, pushing with his left foot a trapdoor slowly down. "But there are five _separate_ ways." Then, he turned to Killua.

Killua nodded. "And what's peculiar—at least I think so—is that they're all next to each other. Pretty weird huh?"

"Five?" Akane asked again, and Gon nodded cheerily. "Then that's enough for all of us."

"I know," Killua said, then looking at the four others with grave eyes, told them about his observation, his thoughts about it. "But I think one or two or more of them might be traps. It's already suspicious enough that they're all together, you know."

"And also," Gon added, raising a finger to emphasize his point, "You can only use these trapdoors once. We chanced to see this guy coming down through a certain trapdoor, but when we went over to check, we couldn't do the same. It was locked."

"So then we realized that the passing is one by one," Killua said. "Each person has to pass through a different trap door."

"So Killua and I decided to pass through these doors," Gon said. "No regrets, if these _are _traps." The unsaid question _What about you guys _lingered in the silent air that suddenly wrapped in the midst of the conversation, but it easily dissolved in the air.

Akane nodded, and tapped at the trap door right below her lightly with her foot. It creaked slightly as it opened and even though her heart was angrily knocking her chest—she'd learned to hate jumping with her recent experience, especially if she didn't know where she might end up in—she still answered with a mumble of "I'm okay." (She thought that it was time she got back at her fears for holding her back.) Kurapika nodded too. Leorio grinned and let out a thumbs up. "I'm okay, too. They say luck has a force."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Killua asked Leorio mockingly, and the elder pointed at his elbow, then Killua's head, making Killua shut up but with a grin still on his silly face.

Kurapika's cough interrupted the two of them, and they fell in attention."So who picks first?" the blond asked, his blue eyes glinting.

The five of them decided that a round of janken (rock paper scissors) would do the trick to arrange who would pick their doors first. "Jan, ken, pon!" Akane shouted with glee as every round passed. The results: Kurapika first, then Leorio, then Akane, then Gon, and then finally, the last one was Killua because he lost with a defeated grumble.

They took their respective positions above the trapdoors they had chosen for themselves. "At the count of three, we all jump," Killua said. "Our roads will split here."

"See you at the bottom," Leorio said with a confident smile.

"Yeah," Kurapika said.

"Good luck to you guys," Akane said, her voice trying to hide her racing blood, her pulse angry at her veins mixing in with her fears.

"Do your best," Gon said.

Killua started the countdown to nothingness. "One… Two… Three!"

They jumped, their eyes closed as their feet landed on hard ground (well maybe except Leorio, where it was his head and back that hit hard ground.) Slowly, they opened their eyes, peeling up their eyelids, and the light flooded their irises, and the room started to light up. Killua and Gon stared at each other and grinned sheepishly.

"Heh, looks like we just fooled ourselves," Killua said while grinning his ever so normal Cheshire cat grin and scratching that nonexistent itch at the back of his head. Akane could imagine him growing _kitsune_ (fox) ears.

The race in her veins started to slow as she was calming herself down with her thoughts. "The trapdoors ended up in the same room," Akane said, more to reassure herself than anything else, the fear clung at her throat starting to edge away, knowing that she wasn't going alone anymore. Not in this round, not in this journey. "Apparently."

Gon looked around the room curiously with wide-eyes. Then, he said, with a whine for a tone, "But there's no exit!"

"I think you should read this first, guys," Kurapika endorsed, pointing at a poster on the wall with some words—instructions, most likely—written on it. The four stood up quickly, dusting their pants from the dust they had picked up on the ground, to see what he was pointing at.

**'CHOICE OF THE WAY BY THE MAJORITY.  
For the five candidates, you will all have to reach your goal following the majority's choice.'**

"Well, there's five of us here already," Killua said. "And here's five watches. This must be… for the choice-making. Wear it." The four complied. As the material of the watches met their skin, it circled and closed around their wrists, like a prisoner's manacles.

Killua's eyes were narrowed. He could sense something odd about the way the exam would work out, but he figured that wherever this _choice by the way of the majority _would bring him, there would be no turning back. (It was always like that with his life. No turning back.) He had his suspicions about the Hunter Exam, and they were starting to come true.

And then suddenly, a loud voice broke their silence. _"ALL RIGHT!"_ It came from a speaker hanging by the grey brick wall. The five people inside the room could not help but stare at the speaker in surprise for its sudden noise. _"This tower contains numerous passages. We can't assure you of the safety of each. Each one contains its own crossways. You can only move forward following the majority's choice. It's impossible to pass if the choice comes from one guy only. The difficulty is that cooperation is the essential condition. On that note, just fight well!" _the voice explained thoroughly. _"Oh, and by the way, I'm your examiner. And I'll be watching close guard…_"

They heard the static and the voice disappeared, silence befalling the room again. Suddenly, a door opened from one of the walls, almost out of nowhere.

"…Oh, here comes the door!" Leorio exclaimed, as it was right in front of him.

When they neared the door, there was a sign posted on it. **'THE DOOR: O opens, X does not.'**

"The first door and they're actually making us choose," Leorio grumbled, pressing on O. "Pretty stupid ideas for a hunter test."

**'O 5, X 0,'** the sign read. The door opened.

"It may be not as easy as you think," Kurapika lectured Leorio. "This is just the opening. You'll see later."

"Yes, boss…" Leorio grumbled, defeated in the challenge. Suddenly he remembered why he hated arguing of the sort with smart people.

They entered the door and soon saw a crossroad. **'WHICH WAY: Right O Left X'** the sign said.

"This is gonna take more time than I thought," Kurapika muttered under his breath. _But time is of the essence in this round. If anything, we better hurry. _He quickly chose his answer. So did the others.

**'O3, X2,'** the sign read.

Leorio's veins popped in his forehead when the right gate opened. His screams stopped his companions' stride toward the right corridor, as he pointed angrily at the left corridor. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO? WHEN IT COMES TO THESE, WE CHOOSE THE LEFT, RIGHT? THE LEFT WOULD BE THE OBVIOUS CHOICE! THE RIGHT ISN'T SO REASSURING!"

Kurapika sighed again. He was trying his best to hold on to that tiny string of patience for Leorio that was continuously wearing thin. "There was a behavior study conducted by scientists of the sort, and they concluded that when people are lost, they tend to decide that they will pick left, or go to the left side," Kurapika said.

Killua nodded, saying, "I heard the exact same thing."

"I don't understand you," Leorio said, voice lowering in volume as compared to earlier. There was something biting at the back of his brain that said he was going to lose the argument _yet again. _Why couldn't he win for once? "You're telling me the opposite of the result we got! What did you guys choose anyway?"

"Right," Kurapika, Killua, and Akane all said at the same time.

"Instincts tell us that we should choose the left side," Kurapika explained again, his words almost coming out of an encyclopedia. "The examiners would know this most likely, so there's a strong possibility that they made the left way much harder, or longer than the right way."

Killua nodded as Akane said, "Exactly!"

Leorio surrendered in the word battle with a guttural sound of defeat. A smirk went up Killua's face as he did so, for the feeling of victory just seemed so refreshing. He used to have that feeling every night but the sensation just faded from his grasp recently. The other four walked to the open door leading to the right side, Leorio at the end murmuring things to himself, but Gon was left behind as he stared at their backs.

"Then I picked the wrong side?" Gon said, making a sad puppy face. But no one bothered to answer him.

After the long road of nothing but an abysmal darkness, their eyes finally caught sight of the light again. There was an arena at the center of the gigantic room. The room, the walls and whatever was visible with the floor, was a color between sandy-brown and golden-brown. The arena was like an island—it was separated with a good amount of space from the other two walls.

Kurapika guessed that there would be two bridges to connect them to the arena, from the rectangular holes that were bound to the wall below them. But he just couldn't give a guess on what they were supposed to do in that said arena. A doubt that was more nervous than anything washed over him like a shower. "What kind of majority decision do you think this is?" He whispered the question to Akane, but Akane just raised her shoulders, shrugging, not knowing, either.

They thought they would just wait in the emptiness when suddenly from the other side, they heard the clanging of heavy manacles and shackles, chains. They all visibly tensed. Akane was already shaking like a leaf in the wind, but obviously she was trying her hardest to still herself. But even if so, the shaking, she couldn't be sure if it was because of her _fear_ or her _excitement_.

Suddenly, a face came to view. He was in some kind of brown robe, but his hood was taken off so they could clearly see his face. He was a big muscled man, with a few badly made stitches across his forehead. But he still looked fairly human.

"We are the jurors for the trial commission," he said, straining his voice to become louder. "Our mission is to fight against you. The matches are one against one, and one can only fight once. The order of passage is free. You'll have to reach three victories if you want to go on," he continued. "The rules are simple," he said, voice sounding softer than before. "Everything is allowed. One's defeat is his opponent's victory." He paused, thinking if he missed anything else. "You lonely have to tell if you accept this trial or not! **O if you accept, X if you refuse!**"

"It's not like there's any other choice than this, right?" Killua asked rhetorically. "Well, it's for the sake of the qualification anyway." He pressed on O.

"I'm the first one to fight!" the muscled man said. "Pick your fighter!"

The five of them stared in silence at each other, putting the strengths of the fighter in great consideration. They were looking at each other in a way that was asking who wanted to volunteer first, but no one spoke a single word. They were weighing themselves in a battle scale built in somehow in their minds. Everybody wanted to be second, not first, so that they would have a view of how the round would go before going to their own battle.

"I think I'm going first, me!" Akane suddenly presented, jumping up and down. She was trying to shake of the anxiety, and the fear that bit at the back of her mind even if she was volunteering on her own and nobody forced her to. She made herself believe that everything was going to be alright. Then, calmer, more like a sane person: "I promise I'll do what I can." Her eyes turned light as she attempted to do a puppy dog eyes at her four male companions.

Killua sweatdropped at Akane's childishness. "You think you can _actually _do him?"

"I didn't train for years with my fat sensei to not pick anything useful up," Akane said with a pout. "Please, pick me! Pick me!" She continued, reverting back into a childish self, raising her arm in excitement, like a kid in class waiting to be called to answer. (And it is like this, so far, because this is in Killua's observation, where he pretty much did not see what was going on in Akane's mind as of the moment, which was actually a whirlwind of indecision and fear.)

"You're pretty mean to your sensei—It's not about the fat at all you know," Killua teased, but Akane paid no heed. He was ignored. Receiving no answer, Killua sighed. "You can have him, I guess," Killua said, finally giving in despite the doubts he held in on his own mind about her going to battle. She'd been pretty, um… _incompetent _as so far, and he didn't want to have to save her yet again so soon. "You guys?"

Kurapika nodded, though a little forcedly. Leorio and Gon did, too. They were weighing her in the balance of the battle and she wasn't passing it as well as they would have wanted, not as well as Kurapika would have, or Killua.

"I'm going to be your opponent Mr. Muscle Man!" Akane said, turning around to the guy. "Draw the bridge please?"

The bridge opened, and Akane went to the arena with a smile on her face. She was suddenly beaming with confidence, and the sudden 'mood swings'—as Killua had dubbed in his head—was freaking the four others out in an odd way.

_Finally a decent fight. I wonder how well I'm going. Sensei would kill me if I failed at this one._

"I propose a death match," The muscle man said. "It's until the death or the surrendering of a fighter," he explained. "Are you okay with that, little missy?"

Her eyes narrowed really slightly at the nickname, but she decided to pass it off. "Mm-hmm, perfectly," she said, and picked a random stance she could think of at that very moment.

"LET'S GO!" Muscled man shouted, running toward her. Akane kept her ground, tensing her feet, as if digging her heels on the ground. When the man was near enough, she did a flying kick by grasping the arena floor with her hands, twirl around with her legs up, and hit the man square to the face. She did not stop there, though; she continued kicking the man's face with her _heavy-duty boots _as if she was tap dancing on them. The man was pushed backward, to the wall of the little room where the rest of their fighters wait.

Akane stood up, dusting her figure, and grinned to her other teammates who were staring with wide mouths to her. It tired her like hell—it had been a while since she'd trained and the strain with that sudden doing hit her like a grand piano—but she did not show it to to the others. She was hyperventilating, chasing after her breath, but she was smiling to supress it. Kurapika was smiling at her, because he knew that she was trained, but he was still a bit surprised. _If she had such skill, then why hadn't she been using it in the past few days?_ "I've been trained since I was five, you know!" She told them and turned around to the opponents. Her smile had faded away and she had the most serious face they'd seen on her, her mouth a line, her eyes narrowed, glaring. "What does he say?" she called to the other people.

"He said he's given up," someone else spoke up, voice shaking, almost brittle. "He's too battered to talk but his eyes say it."

"Okay," Akane said, her voice blank and monotone. Then, hands behind her head, she walked back to her teammates, looking at the screen with their points turn from blank to a bright red "1". A grin then passed in her face, and her voice turning cheerful again, she stepped in front of them. "And so what did I say? Don't waste too much time on them."

Gon and Leorio still stood there, mouths gaping wide like a goldfish's. Killua was leaning by the wall with one eyebrow raised, and a mysterious smile on his pretty little face.

"Guys, someone better get on that arena, we're losing time," Akane said, turning to walk inside their little dark corridor to sit on the floor, legs splayed, exhausted. "Go, fight, geez."

But when no one responded, she sighed. "I have no idea."

* * *

**Review Thoughts. **I would be worried/scared shit too, if an incompetent 16-year-old girl who'd been halfway dead a lot of times the past few exams volunteered herself to fight a huge man. I would get even scared if she _did _successfully. o_o

Nao please tell me what you think, it feeds the author.

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	10. And this is how we fight

**A/N: **There we go. I'm a day late from the five day schedule but oh well.

I edited some parts here, altered it a little. Major, I think.

Can't put anything here. All A/N stays below, that's when I can start yapping...

Original word count: 2,714

**Disclaimer: **HXH belongs to Togashi!

* * *

"Guys. Would you please get back to your senses, really, we're losing time. I think I know what they want from us," Kurapika said, waving a hand in front of Leorio's face. He started explaining the realization that hit him, earlier.

"Long punishment?" Leorio asked, confused. He massaged his forehead, trying to take in everything Kurapika had just said.

"Yes," Kurapika continued. "Our 72 hours will be 72 years decreased from their punishment. All they want is to slow us down."

Killua, regaining his mind, nodded. "If the only thing they want is to make us lose time.. then they'd really propose those long death matches. Which means, Akane really did good by finishing up so soon." Akane smiled in glee.

"So, anyway, who's gonna go next?" Kurapika asked.

"Me! I'm going!" Gon said, enthusiastic, but not as enthusiastic as how Akane was, earlier. He had his hand up too, but he was being decent and without the jumping all around and screaming and laughing and all.

"Are you sure?" Killua asked, concerned about Gon's safety. Gon nodded. "You don't lack in courage, that's good, but… what he said should've scared you, ne?" Killua asked.

Gon poked Killua's right temple. "The next one doesn't seem too gruesome." Killua looked at Gon. "Maybe, but…"

Kurapika sweatdropped at their twelve-year-old thoughts. They completely forgot the next opponent was _still a criminal_.

"Don't worry," Gon said, dismissing them. "He doesn't seem the fighting type." He went across the bridge and to the arena, humming a silent tune to quiet his awakening fears.

"I'm Sedokan," the guy said. "I'm not a fighter; Running, Jumping… not my thing at all."

Gon nodded. It was pretty obvious to begin with. The man was really thin, you can almost see the bones through the skin. "Then I think opposite to you," Gon said. "I'm not really good with Thought games."

"I thought so," Sedokan said. "So I prepared an extremely simple game." He took out two candles. "It's not dynamite, don't worry. It's just a candle, kid. We light them at the same time. The one whose candle's light goes out first, loses. Simple as that. No fighting, no bruises, no nothing. Just one candle." Sedokan nodded. "So?"

"I'm game with it!" Gon said happily. "It's easy!" "Okay," Sedokan said. "Well…" he produced two candles – one short, one long. "Pick one," he said. "O for the long, X for the short. It goes by the majority."

_It's a trap!_ Killua thought. _Normally we'd pick the longer one. "Normally."_

"I bet the long one's trapped," Leorio said.

"It would be logical to think so," Kurapika thought. "But counting on this… this normality, it wouldn't be surprising if the short one is a trap."

Leorio gawked at Kurapika. "Both of them can be traps, is that what you mean?"

"We can't be sure," Kurapika said. "Neither of them are reassuring."

_Both of them… can be traps!_

"Don't rush on your decision," Sedokan said, limping down on the floor. "This is majority's decision, so don't worry, and you can go consult the others for your decision." He paused a little. "We have all the time in the world, anyway," Sedokan said, teasing.

_What kind of a freakin pun is that_, Killua grumbled to himself.

Gon turned around to face the others, eyes asking what decision he should make. Tick-tock, tick-tock, their digital watches counted off the seconds that they wasted staring at each other, weighing the consequences. Gon was shivering in cold sweat.

"Gon!" Kurapika shouted, finally breaking the silence, making heads turn to him. "You decide which candle to pick!" he said. "Instead of wracking our brains and _wasting our time,_" Kurapika said, a gentle hiss, "I think it would be better to trust on your instinct!"

"Really?" Gon asked, surprised, but glitters coming out of his dark hazel eyes.

"Yes," Killua answered. "Now go pick the right one, and win for us, ne! If you lose you're going to be beaten by the awesomest Killua ever!"

Gon laughed light-heartedly at Killua's joke. "Mm…" Gon said, index finger on top of his lips to a thinking pose. "I pick the long one! It's logical that way."

Everybody behind him sweatdropped. Those big sweatdrops that come out. Bigger than ever.

"The long one… are you sure?" Sedokan asked.

"Yes," Gon said, and the four others just had to press on O unwillingly.

Sedokan tossed the candle to Gon, who caught it perfectly. "So we light these at the same time, okay?" Gon nodded, and let the wick touch the flames.  
When he lifted the candle to position himself comfortably, the flames started to dance. _I must keep my attention and focus, so that the candle doesn't burn out… _Gon thought.

"Kurapika, how long does a candle like that burn?" Killua asked.

"Maybe five or six hours," Kurapika said. "But with the wind from below, I doubt it'd stay that long." Kurapika strained his eyes to see. "Is it just me or the fire in Gon's candle is… a little too big over the ordinary?"

"Look…" Leorio said, at the same time, and Killua directed his attention to the candle in Gon's hands. The flame was so big, Gon looked like he was holding a campfire, and not a candle.

"The wax must've been altered," Kurapika said, "so that it burns much faster!"

"Gon fell for the trap!" Akane said, worriedly. "What do we do now?"

"It's hot, it's hot, it's hot, hot hot hot…" Gon chanted to himself as he tried to balance the candle on a finger to avoid the heat.

"He won't be able to hold any longer!" Leorio realized. "Maybe two or three minutes, but nothing more!"

Gon continued his balancing game when suddenly, as if a lightbulb popped above his head, he had a brilliant idea, and grinned to Sedokan. Sedokan looked shocked. _What was there to grin about?_

Gon dropped the candle into the floor, while saying, "If the flame's that big, it won't let up on the wind below!" He dashed toward Sedokan and blew on his candle.

"I win!" He shouted, and rushed back to the little room where the rest were.

"Very, very talented of you, Gon," Akane said, ruffling Gon's hair.

"Thanks," Gon said, grinning impishly.

Kurapika sent a look to everybody else, and, knowing the message, everybody nodded. "My turn," he said, and stepped up toward the arena.

* * *

Clank, clank. The manacles of the muscled-guy (with muscles bigger than the one Akane fought) clattered to the floor. He had gigantic biceps, abs, triceps, everything – and a badly done face.

_Epic fail on the plastic surgery part, though, _Killua snickered. If he tried hard enough, he'd have muscles _that _big, and even _bigger, _but that would make him look like a maniac, so.

"Nineteen people, that's my record of people killed," the badly-done-surgery man, named Majitani, said, "But it's not a good number." His voice was gruff and deep and intimidating, but not much. "Ripped bodies. Blood. Pain," he said, "are the most exciting things in life, when you risk your life, soul, and body for the sake of it."

Kurapika stared at him coolly, expressionless and uncaring about whatever the weird man was saying. "Mm, that's okay for me," he said with a clean tone. _I will get used to that, anyway, in the near future, _he added in his mind. "If you want to decide the rules of the match, and _now," _he said, "it would be perfect."

"R-right," Majitani answered, and his face showed his utter disbelief.

_Hmm… he wasn't expecting such a cool disposition from Kurapika, huh? Maybe the rest who'd seen him had been fatty cowards, _Killua thought, smug. _Easy kill, for him._

"I suggest a fight to the death," Majitanj said. _As expected, _Kurapika thought. "The fight doesn't end until one player dies or gives up. But…" a grin played on the ugly man's face, "Don't expect me to slow down on my attacks if you give up!"

"I'm alright with that," Kurapika said, and shedding his top two layers of clothing – the tabard and the long-sleeved outershirt – asked, "So, can we begin now?"

The look of disbelief in Majitani's face was turning pretty obvious. Killua smiled, shaking his head. _The man's overestimating the fact that maybe the competitors will be fearing his looks. _Killua stroked his chin. _Well, but in the terms of fighting – of killing – looks don't really matter, does it? _He had to smother an impending laughter at the irony of his thinking of his own situation.

"I forgot," Majitani said. "No weapons are allowed. We might be jury, but we're still prisoners." He paused. "It's a hand-to-hand match."

Kurapika stared at his two swords for one and half seconds before tossing it with the pile of his clothes. "Okay, anything else?"

Majitani's disbelieving look became that of fear. _Hah, he thought the weapons would make the other seem weaker. _Killua crouched on the floor like a frog. _I'd better get comfy, I believe this match will get pretty interesting._

* * *

"What do you think of this?" Leorio thought, stroking his chin.

Gon didn't answer, only replied with a soft "Hmm.."

_Kurapika? In danger? _Killua thought. _No, this guy won't even land a scratch on Kurapika. The guy's just another freakin' impostor! _

Akane sighed. "You don't need to worry, I have trust on Kurapika's skills." She tried her best to ease the tension.

"The guy seems like a weakling," Killua added.

"Weakling? You've gotta be kidding me!" Leorio exclaimed. "Have you seen the body of that guy?"

"Leorio-kun," Akane said, "Looks don't really equate to the fighting level and speed and strength and all." She winked at me. "Look at Killua here."

I smiled. _You'll know soon enough._

"Akane's right," Gon said. "Look at Kurapika. No palpitations or anything."

Leorio grumbled. "So what?" But obviously, he's lost the argument.

Suddenly, alerting them, Majitani jumped up, fist raised in the air like mad. Kurapika saw the attack and dodged. He wondered what would've happened to him if he didn't get to dodge, looking at the cracked rock.

Well, until something caught his attention and everything turned red.

* * *

"A twelve-legged spider… could it be…" Leorio uttered.

"It's the Genei Ryodan," Gon said, confirming Leorio's doubts. "It's the gang that massacred Kurapika's tribe."

"'The worst criminals in history,' as so dubbed," Akane added.

"It's pretty well known," Gon said. "Kurapika told it to me…"

As for Majitani, he was pretty overconfident, and he had a big smirk off his face, that, well, Kurapika just pretty much wanted to _punch _off. "Pretty silent now, aren't we?" Majitani teased. "I am Majitani, one of the four kings of the Ryodan," he said. "Take that fist as some kind of introduction." He had his eyes closed, and explained the details carefully. "You can still go back and go whimper and lose, you can tell it now while the offer still…exists…" He trailed off at the end, for he was being stared back by one of the highly-wanted treasures that the Ryodan once stole by killing off an entire clan.

The Scarlet Eyes.

* * *

A pair of burning scarlet eyes met his one dark one, and he could say it was burning in anger and wanted something – vendetta.

"Wh-what about y-you?" Majitani continued his speech even though stammering. "Wh-wh-what do y-you h-have?"

The next second, Kurapika was off the ground and was gripping Majitani's chin, squeezed it so hard that the cheekbones met, and blood squirted out of his nose. He rammed the giant to the floor, cracking the skull and the floor at the same time.

Killua whistled. Akane looked at Kurapika with worried eyes. Gon, with surprised ones. Leorio gawked at Kurapika.

"Three… three advices…" Kurapika said, facing the dead corpse of the man. His voice was deep and scary. "One, on the real tattoo, the number of the member is written in the center of the spider," he said slowly. "Two, they've already killed _so much people _that it would be impossible to count the number." Then, he sighed. "Three, don't you ever utter the name of the Ryodan, ever again, if you may be able to, 'cause I won't be able to hold back and will kill you slowly, painfully."

He stalked back to his pile of clothes.

* * *

"Kurapika, are you alright?" Akane said, not hesitating to hug him. Kurapika looked at her with curious blue orbs.

"Akane?"

"I was worried," Akane said, letting go. "I thought something had _possessed _you back then! What had happened, anyway?"

"That's always what happens," Kurapika said. "Whenever I see any spiders." _I should even be happy it still is there, _he thought.

"We're not showing Kurapika any spiders now, right, Leorio?" Gon whispered, and Leorio nodded. "Yep."

"You totally blew your fuse," Akane said. "Learn how to hold it in, okay?"

Kurapika nodded, with a smile. "I will."

"Aww, that leaves me out! All you three won without me fighting!" Killua grumbled. "Can I do at least ONE match?"

"But Killua, we already won…" Akane thought.

"Just one, just one," Killua said. "Yo, guys on the other side! Any one of you care to play with me?" He crouched for momentum and jumped to the arena. "Please?"

"Unshackle me," a prisoner said. "I wanna play with this kid."

Mischief crawled up into Killua's dark eyes. "Sure."

* * *

What Killua saw for an opponent was a man with tousled hair, and apparently a strong grip as he made the wall crumble in his hands.

"Oi, Killua! Forget this game of yours! Just don't fight the man!" _He cuts… no, rips… people's bodies apart, and only with his bare hands! _Leorio said. _Jones the cutter!_

"Meh. Don't underestimate me, Ojii-san!" Killua said. He turned to Jones. "Playing aside, let's go?"

"It's a one-way massacre, kid," Jones said. "No matter how playful you get."

Killua grinned. "Oh, of course it is."

In a fleeting second, still with the Cheshire cat grin, he was ten feet away from Jones – behind him, even – with a thumping object in his hand.

His heart.

* * *

"Give that… back… to me…" Jones said, stumbling toward Killua.

"Oh, what a beautiful heart," Killua said. He licked his bloody fingers, turning his lips a scary shade of crimson red, a shade deeper than Kurapika's eyes, earlier. "Buh-bye."

He closed the fist and the heart popped open, exploding.

* * *

He trotted back to the gang and wiping his fingers to the wall, started to run with them out of the exit.

"Well, that was a pretty nice…talent, you got there, Kill," Akane said. "What a technique. How did you do that?" No fear laced her tone, only curiosity.

"Mmn, it was barely a technique," Killua said. "I barely did a modification to my fingers," he said, and raised his hand to face Akane. He turned them into claws by cracking some muscles and bones. Then, he turned them back to normal. "Nothing special. Runs in the family."

"Wow…" Akane said. "You're a great fighter, Killua," Akane said, patting his head.

This time, he didn't mind Akane's patting.

"Oh, I'm still amateur compared to my father," he grinned, licking blood off his lips. "If it were him, the man wouldn't have bled."

Akane put back her hand to her pocket, unable to control the shudder that ran through her spine.

* * *

**A/N: **Ta-daaa! Now I can start yapping.

Okay, sorry for being so mean and removing Leorio's part in the arena test. I really, _really _just don't like what he did. They lost 50 hours because of him! *grumble* So since this is my story - kinda - I'm making Leorio NOT play the arena test, so they have a 50 hour spare to use up. HOORAY!

Okay. Let's get serious. I was kinda bored with Gon's fight, too... I think I did that earlier so it has less excitement. But the Kurapika part, I did that all today. -heart- I love that. It was the first time he showed his scarlet eyes fully in the anime and manga. [I Think?] I think I used Killua's thoughts a little too much in this chapter. Hmmn. Back to the Killua addiction, I think. -fangirl screams- Because of that, I had to put Killua's fight. It was probably one of the coolest parts in the Hunter Exam Arc. The first time I watched it this year (and the first time I've watched it after eight years, I think), my mouth was gaping wide like a goldfish's (and like Leorio, Gon, and Killua after Akane's round). I was like, "Damn, Killua, did you just _DO _that?"

Okay. I just like the feel whenever a killer licks bloody lips and all. -licks her own with tomato juice, since she doesn't have blood-

Here's a random note. Try saying 'Killer' with the Japanese accent. It's gonna sound like 'Kirer'. If you stress it even more, it'll sound like 'Kirua,' the standard pronunciation of Killua's name in Japanese (since they don't have the 'L' sound). I was shocked. I realized it myself. I kept on saying 'Killua the killer, Killua the killer' while I was writing his fight with Jones. Then I realized.

_- Removed the Spoiler, I couldn't write anything in that theme.. *sigh* __- _

Ta-da! That was random. Haha.

Must stop yapping. Ja-ne!


	11. Wait

**A/N: **Back to POV-ing. The next might not be, unless you allow me to do a switch-perspective type. I don't know if I can go back to that again. :|  
Extra drabble. Since Akane won the fight for them, what did they do for fifty hours? Something random. Please don't take the last scene to be something Romantic. I wanted it to be a sibling-type friendship. [But not Brother-sister-complex, please.]

Random. I couldn't get the game part right so I decided I'd make it this way. 12 Is on the way, too...

**Disclaimer: **Togashi, that sick man who's bedridden and cannot continue the manga yet, I guess, owns HxH.

* * *

**(AKANE's POV)**

The five of us started a leisurely-walk-pace down the tower. Making the right choices, we happily ended down a path where they could get to bottom safely, and uninjured. There were some times when Leorio would start fighting about his decision, that I would be forced to stop, of course.

When we arrived at the bottom floor, the first ones I noticed were Hisoka and Hanzo. They're one of the characters that seem to stand out… threat or not, I can't tell. We removed our watches, tossing them on the floor against Kurapika's wise decision. I said 'Just toss it in the corner,' and they did. But when we took one last look to check how long we were still supposed to spend before finishing the 72 hour time limit, we all whined in complaint. Well, at least me and Killua.

"What?" Killua groaned. "Are you serious? We have FIFTY HOURS to spend in this room?" His complaints rang around the entire room, echoing. There were around twelve echoes.

"Yes," Kurapika said. He already had his nose buried in a book. "Oh well."

"I'm going to have a nice nap," Leorio said, who was already sprawled on the floor. "Fifty hours, equals two days. I'm going to nap." In half a second, he was asleep.

Gon didn't make a noise. He was polishing his fishing pole.

"Akane~~! What about you?" Killua whined.

"I guess I'd take a nap too," I said, succumbing to fetal position. I could feel two pairs of eyes staring at me. One would be Killua… and the other was too painstakingly familiar.

"Hisoka's staring at you, you know," Killua said, scooting over beside me.

"I know," I said. "It's irritating." I looked up at Hisoka, at twelve-o-clock, and gave him a look that said, 'What do you want?'

Hisoka smirked. He extended a long index finger and bid me come near him. He blew me an air-kiss. At least, I think, since it was in my direction.

A startled shudder ran through my spine.

"Is it just me or he wants to talk to you?" Killua asked. "And really."

"I think he does…" I told Killua. "What, should I go?"

"I don't know," Killua said. "He doesn't seem to have a murderous aura… he seems to be pretty playful, you know."

"I guess," I said, and stood up to stretch and dust myself. I found Hisoka still staring admirably – sigh – at me. I whispered to Killua, "Can I trust you to come to the rescue if anything happens?"

Killua nodded, and I started to go.

I came face to face with the joker in no time. I sat on the ground across him. "What do you want, Hisoka?"

"Don't get too irate, princess," he giggled. "I just want to talk."

"Well then get to the point," I said, fisting my hands to prevent my slapping him. "We've had quite a long day, you know. The tower's quite the thing, and I want to rest too." I was trying to keep monotone, but the fear and the anger started to swell in my blood. Sweat fell from my forehead. I realized I was shaking, and started to breathe to calm myself down.

"Pretty princess with her four princes," Hisoka smiled at me. I glared daggers at him. "I just wanted to ask how things are going between you and them…"

Continuing throwing daggers at him, I said, "So far so good. I'm still alive and in the game, aren't I?"

"Good, good," he said, smiling. "I just wanted to make sure you all pass the examination." He giggled.

The daggers flying away from my face, I raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean, Hisoka?"

"Nothing special," he said, giggling. He slid on the ground an upturned card that I couldn't see the face. "Just waiting for the harvest." He looked at me. "You can go now."

Clueless, I took the card and flipped it over.

It was a joker.

I pocketed it and walked back to Killua, who was staring at me with questioning eyes. Two pairs of eyes, staring at me. It creeped me out.

_This is going to be a very, very long wait._

* * *

"So what did he do?" was Killua's first question, as if automatically. "What happened?"

"He seemed to be… _concerned _about us." I couldn't find any better verb anyway.

"Concerned?" Killua said, mockingly. "The demented jester, concerned. It's the best sarcasm of the year."

I looked at him cluelessly. I felt so dumb. "I was serious, Killua."

He looked at me now, even more clueless as I was. "You were?"

"I was!" I said. "He was using pretty flowery statements like 'The princess and her four princes' and something about a harvest… but I didn't really get it. I did get, however, that he said he wanted us to pass the exam."

"He's crazy," Killua said. "He might as well have found someone interesting in our group. He's going to start targeting, pick a good kill point and then—"

"Who are you talking about, guys?" Gon said, scooting over. His fishpole was now really shiny.

"Hisoka," Killua said abruptly. "So I was saying, he might as well be a bad threat, especially you, Akane, since you're the weak one—"

"EXCUSE ME!" I said, angrily. "Weak? Let me just add that I could beat that ugly Muscled guy back up at the ARENA! Do you have short memory loss or something, GOLDFISH?"

Kurapika laughed lightly behind me. "Nice comparison, Akane."

"Thank you, Kurapika," I said, before turning around to Killua again, "But there are some people—"

"Fine, fine," Killua said, arms up in the air. I could imagine a sweat drop coming out from the back of his head. "You're not weak, but you're not strong enough. If you compare it to Hisoka's level, you're waaa~ay below it."

Crossing my arms across my chest, I nodded, thoughtfully. "I agree. How would you level it, then?"

He rammed his fist to the ground and took some of the crumbled rock out. He took one out and waved it in front of my face. "This would be Hisoka." He placed it on the ground. "This would be me, in terms of strength." He placed the other rock around five inches away. "And I'm being modest at that. Anyway, this would be you." He placed another rock around two inches behind me. "You did take martial arts, right? That would be if you maximize your skill."

"Hmmph!" I said, kicking the stones away. "If only I had that red-eye power like Kurapika!"

Kurapika flinched behind me, as if attacked by a sudden memory. I thought I heard him murmur unintelligible words.

"What do you call that power, anyway, Kurapika?" I asked.

"My father used to call it Emperor Time," he said solemnly, in a deeper voice than usual. "But I don't know how to control it, or what it does yet. It just… happens."

Killua cocked his head to the side. "When?"

"When I see a spider," Kurapika thought, not bothering to look up from his book. "I already told you that, earlier."

"'Short memory loss, goldfish'," Killua quoted. "What is it with goldfishes?"

Kurapika looked up at Killua with amused eyes, trying to cover up his laughter. "Goldfishes have two-second memory spans."

"They do?" Killua said, surprised. "That's scary! I guess that's why my mom decided forgetful fish wasn't meant for our aquarium…"

"You have fish in your house?" I asked. "I've always wanted to have a fish! What fish do you have?"

Killua grinned mischievously. "Guess what."

"_Amphiprion ocellaris!_" Gon said, cheerily. I felt my eye sockets loosen and almost my eyes almost fall out of place. I put my hands on my face to prevent them from falling, but in the end I made a tiny hole between my fingers to look around. Killua's mouth was wide open again, and Gon was grinning. I couldn't tell Kurapika's reaction, but I could feel his… shock.

"What the hell is that?" Killua asked. "Sorry Gon, but I'm not the fishing type." "Neither am I," I added.

Kurapika answered for Gon, who was smothering his laughter. "It's a clownfish."

"A CLOWNFISH!" Killua said. "A CLOWNFISH! Akane, tell me, does my family seem _that _pathetic to you?"

"Actually, clownfishes are nice," I answered. "Finding Nemo?"

"Aww that movie SUCKED," Killua groaned. "Tell me, do I look like the time who watches that?"

"How did you know it sucked if you didn't watch it?" I asked him. "You don't seem to be the type who watches por—"

"Kids like you shouldn't talk about that, you know," Leorio said, waking up. "What a loud voice you have there, Killua. Big bad wolf?"

"And you would be the pig who built a house made of straw," Killua said. He turned back to me. "Akane, I would like you to take back what you said."

"Can't take back what I said now, can I?" I asked him. I yawned. "My turn to nap, ne? But I have guess for your fish," I told him.

"So, what do you think?" He asked, taunting.

"Piranha," I said, with a flick of my finger, before finally curling to a ball to get some well-needed sleep.

Before I finally fell asleep, I heard Killua gasp. "She got it right."

_Piranha._

* * *

When I woke up, Kurapika was asleep and had his head tucked between his knees. Killua was asleep too, beside Gon. Leorio, too.

They all slept. Leaving me, to myself.

I looked down at my bag hoping to find something nice. _Clothes… Biscuits… Paper… Pen… _I decided I'd write. While I'm eating. Taking out the paper and pen, and the biscuit I tried to scribble out with my extremely messy handwriting my first letter to my mom while I nibbled on the untasty biscuits. As for the first letter… that is, if I would be able to send it.

_Dear Mom._

_Hi. I'm okay, here I am in the third part of the exam. We went down a tower and fought some convicts. It's pretty hard, I guess. But I've met some nice friends. I'll try to make you meet them if possible, but I highly doubt that._

_First there's Gon. He's got a bubbly attitude and he's a really fun kid. He has spiky hair with a green shade on the tips. And brown eyes. He decided to get into the hunter exam because he wanted to find his father. Nice kid._

_Next is Killua. I met him on the train I took out from there to the docks. He's pretty nice. Though he's got a scary talent. I think his last name's Zaoldyeck… isn't that an assassin family? Oh well, at least he's in on our side. He also got some weird looks. He's twelve, like Gon. He has spiky white hair. Creepy. I thought he was a vampire once but nah. He's creepy as he is._

_Next would be Kurapika. He's seventeen. Like me, he has blond hair, and blue eyes. Though his is brighter than mine. He __**looks like a girl, **__mom. Seriously. If I had my camera, I'd love to send you photos, but. Yeah. Next time. He wants to become a blacklist hunter… I think there's these criminals called the Genei Ryodan who killed off his entire tribe. He's really solitary, I have much to know yet. His eyes turn red, too. Creepy!_

_Last would be Leorio, the group pervert. I don't know, he just seems to be the foolish one. That idiot. But he's our comic relief, so what is there to complain about? He has shortish black hair and he wear s sunglasses. Weird enough, he's wearing a formal tux thing, above his Hawaiian shirt. Doesn't fit him at all. Make him look more foolish._

_We've met some scary dudes in the way, including a magician I don't wanna talk about much, except that he called me a princess. Send regards to Sensei back there, tell him my Martial Arts training helped me pretty good enough here. At least I can defend myself._

_Lots of terrible stuff happened already, but I won't tell you since you might just get worried so much. Don't worry, my friends and I can do this, I guess. I'll try to write you another when I have enough paper –oh shit I realized I only have a few—so that I can continue my stories. That is if I can send you these._

_Bye. Hugs and Kisses to Dad, Sensei, and You._

_Akane._

* * *

"What's that, Akane?" Killua asked, peeking from my shoulder as I folded the sheet of paper. I tucked it in my bag and told him, "It's a letter."

"A letter for who?" he asked. "Your mom?" I nodded. He sighed. "You do know you won't be able to send that out yet, right?"

I nodded. "I can send it when we're done with the exam, together with the rest I may be able to write, I suppose. I wish she doesn't worry until then."

"Akane! You're like, SIXTEEN. Tell your mom to make up her mind, if she wants you to be a kid forever or grow up."

I nodded. "I wanted to tell her that too, but unlike you, I have some respect to my parents."

He huffed. "Whatever." He trotted back to the wall to lean down, and started polishing his skateboard.

"I hope the time's about to end," I said. "What do you think?"

"Maybe two more hours," Kurapika said, waking up. I looked at him to find him back to his comfortable sitting position. "Or so. We already spent quite a time here." He opened his book again.

I scooted over to him and noticed his earring. I took it between my thumb and index finger, and he was uncomfortable with the sudden touch. I let go of it. "What's it made of, Kurapika?"

"Blood gem," he said. "It's special, made really, basically, out of blood."

"Creepy," I said, realizing it was the nth time I thought of that word. _Creepy. _I peeked over to the book he was reading. "What's _that _about?"

"It's a novel adaptation," he said, "About two lovers whose families did not allow them to be together."

I thought about it. The plot sounded familiar. "_La tragédie de Roméo et Juliette_?"

Kurapika chuckled. "My, someone knows her French," he said. "But yes. Romeo and Juliet."

"What part are you in? Can I read, too?" Resting my chin on his shoulder, I started to read in pace with him. It was funny-looking, I guess, since Hisoka and Killua were laughing at us. Maybe Kurapika looked like he grew another blond head.

Before we could finish the Story of the third Act, the speaker bellowed. "END OF ROUND TIME!" It said. "THIRD ROUND: NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS WHO REACHED THE GOAL, TWENTY FIVE, INCLUDING ONE DEAD!"

Then, the door opened.


	12. The Hunt

**A/N: **Hooray! Back at last. I miss ! So here's a gift of 2,406 words :D

Disclaimer: Don't own none.

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(Akane's POV)**

When the doors finally budged open, all five of us finally stomped out happily to the outdoors. _Finally a breathe of fresh air that doesn't feel like Hisoka! _I thought happily. And besides, staying in a brick tower for three whole days is boring, brain-wracking, and suffocating. It made me feel imprisoned, actually.

A man with scary eyes and a bad – literally – hair day introduced himself as Rippo, our supposedly third round judge. He eyed us one-by-one before he started to talk. "Congratulations, all twenty-four of you. You have all passed the third test. But there is still no time to celebrate. There are still two more rounds to go." He paused, giving me – and us all – time to think, _Just two more! _"The fourth test will be in Zebiru island"—he pointed to a faraway speck—"and it will last a week. Now we will have a lottery.

"A lottery?" I asked. "For what?"

"To determine the hunters and the prey," he said. "In the week you'll spend in Zebiru island, you will have to keep _two _badges. One is yours, and that would be worth three points. The other would be your prey's, ad that will also three points. The rest of the other number badges would be worth one point. So, to pass this round, you have to have six points in all at the end of your one week." He pushed a fancily colored box in front of him. "Please get a card in the order you arrived at the bottom of the tower."

As I watched Hisoka come up first, I snorted. _Figures. _I diverted my mind to think of a proper explanation – and plan on what to do – of the test._The challenge is to keep your badge, steal your opponent's badge, and be safe and strong enough to return to the vantage-slash-meeting point. But if I manage to, I have to know – _I picked a card, and not looking at it, went to a random spot that wasn't crowded with people – _whose number I pick – HOLY._

It didn't even take me a second to realize who's the one I picked.

Taking one reassuring look at the card, I made the best conclusion I could make.

_Oh shit._

* * *

"…come back next year…" From the wee-back of the crowd, I could barely hear what the lady was saying. I was at the tip of the boat, hands cupping my face as I started to ponder on the how.

_I can't just come up and ask him, right? That would be, for one, far too embarrassing, and two, very stupid. _I stared at the tower that started to shrink as distance and water separated us. _I must, no matter how short, initiate battle. It's the last I can do to save face._

"Akane."

I jumped back in surprise to find two deep purple eyes staring at me curiously. "O-oh, Killua." I stepped bac up to him again. "Hi."

"Hello?" he said, a little confused. "An improvement, I guess. At least you don't whack faces anymore."

I cocked my head to the side, trying to remember what he meant. Then, it dawned on me. _Back in the ship… _ "Ohh… yeah, he-he. I guess."

"You seem to be bothered. Did you get someone hard? Can't be Hisoka since Gon got him, unfortunately," he said, not sounding the least sympathetic.

_Gon got Hisoka? _I thought, taking a glance at the brown-eyed, spiky haired kid. _We both suck at lottery, But I wonder who sucks more. _"H-hard, I guess," I told Killua.

"You guess?" Killua said in a mocking tone, as if he really knew who I picked. "Do you even know the person?"

I took a nervous gulp as I watched him stare at me, waiting for an answer. My brain cells started to run wildly out of control. I could feel the heat creeping up my face. So I defensively gave my back to him and proceeded with my face-cupped-by-hands position. "I… I don't wanna talk about it," I stammered.

"Suit yourself," he said, jumping back on his skateboard. "Just call me if you need any help, okay? Akane."

I nodded to him, not looking back at him. He didn't move for five more seconds before he finally decided to leave. I finaly sighed – or rather, got to breathe. I took the card out of my pocket to sigh again. _Of all numbers. _The disbelief was now disappointment, and the number was glaring at me, taunting me, mocking me.

99.

_

* * *

I can't really fight him, _I thought. _It would be impossible! Remember how he fought in trap tower? It would illogical, reckless, STUPID, retarded! What else? _

Hisoka started to walk. _There. I have ten more minutes to wreck my mind. _ I took a glance at Killua who was fingering his card the number of his oppenent. I couldn't see it clearly from where I was, but I could say I thought I saw the numbers 1 and 9. At least it wasn't anyone hard – I hope – and none of us friends.

He has better luck than me, I guess.

I came right after Gon, and Killua will come after me.. _So I have two minutes headstart. _I shook my head. _I am actually planning to take after him? Baka!_

Gon started to walk . Ignoring the nervous thumping of my heart against my chest, I shouted, "Ganbatte, Gon!" _And I know you need it._

He turned around and nodded to me. "Arigatou Gozaimasu Akane! Hai! Gambare yo!" He waved his arms and started again on his way to the forest. _I don't think I can really do well, but thanks for the wishes, Gon._

"Six!" the lady shouted, and I started walking. When I was sure I was obscured from sight by the densely packed trees I jumped to the top of a random tree.

"Two minutes, two minutes of equal patience and stealth," I told myself in a thin whisper. _Master told us whether we are hunting animal or human, we must be patient. Stealth, silence. The element of surprise. We must have that. _I breathed. A minute must've passed by then. _Patience, surprise. Imagine he's just another rabbit like before, when you hunted in the mountains with Kiko… _In my mind, Killua grew rabbit ears that looked pinkish and cottony. I stifled a laugh as I heard the lady shout "Seven!"

I saw him walking casually, like having a little trot in the park. Weird Kid, Killua, he really amazes me. He's really callm and seemingly confident in his skills.

I don't really have anything to argue against the second part. I've seen his skills and realized that he really was capable, in all aspects. Definitely.

He was capable, and I was nothing close to him. I may be older than him, in years, but if you talk about skills, I'm a three-year-old (I think) and he's an _ex-professional elite family assassin. _

Of course he'd win over me.

I highly doubt he'd label me as friend this time.

I stalked him in the forest, and the entire day he just walked almost aimlessly, like he was just randomly walking in a direction to see if he might, by chance, stumble upon his target. If I remember correctly, the only time he curved off his straight-line walking was when he bathed. In a river. He took off his shirt – and I did not stare at his non-existent muscles and six-pack abs, may I tell you – that still had his badge on it. He lifted this boulder around his height with maybe around a diameter of five feet, and put it under it. When I was sure he was in the water and I was in a perspective he won't see me, I went down my looking spot and tried to lift the boulder. Oh boy! It was probably three tons heavy. And he just lifted it like it was a pebble, almost turned it completely over, even!

_What is it with this kid?_

He really didn't sleep, except for this short nap. It was hopeless dreaming I would be able to get his badge then – he buried it in the ground to deepness measuring from the tips of his fingers to his elbow, and then sat on the spot.

So I took my sweet time and walked around. While walking I found a black robe – thick and covering. It was just the right size of me and the hood would be able to cover my face.

When fate plays a role in human life, I wish it was always _this _good.

I took it, the plan forming in my head. I trotted back to the spot.

The sun was setting when I reached the original place, and thank God, he was stiill dozing off. _Heavy sleeper? _Mis-weighing the pros and cons, I decided against my conscience and wrapping the robe around myself, I succumbed into my sleep.

When I woke up, the sun was gone, and the moon took its place as beacon in the sky. The tears twinkled lightly above me, and the north star – what was it called, something Polaris, was it? – was directly above me. Catching my head in my hands, I felt the world spin around me. I then thought of something, and ym sentiments were the same as earlier.

_Oh shit._

I stood up to check, and my assumptions were correct. I twas alone. He'd left me alone in the blue.

_Hey, it wasn't like he actually knew, right?_

Pulling my hood back up, I started to dash in the initial direction he was going the rest of the past time – in a straight line. His footsteps were too light to leave marks or bendings in the ground and grass, and the only reassuring points were in the once-in-a-half-mile skateboard tracks.

The sun rose above the island's forest green canopy. The sky was a nice azure blue that gave me hope. It glowed happily. It gave me courage.

When I finally found him again, he was by the end of a plain grassy meadow, and probably only a meter of grass separated him from the dim recesses of the forest. If I came out, there would be around fifty meters distance between us.

Swallowing my fear, I shouted, "Number 99!" He turned around to look at me and my robed self. "Let's fight," I said, and took up the stance of the most powerful fighting move I know – and was taught to me.

The Ryuu-sen, the thousand dragons. It's for long-distance shots, and with proper usage you would be able to send a thousand hits or so to the vital points of a human body, sending the victim unconscious and immobile for days. I thought it would be alright to use it on him since he was the new generation Superman anyway. He'll easily recover.

I watched him turn around and face me with one white eyebrow raised. He looked at me in an odd, cofused way. It was absolutely tense that you could cut the tension with a knife. I could hear my heart thumping across my chest.

_Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump._

With two long strides he ran around me and pulled my hood down so my face could be seen. In a second, he revealed my identity and managed to be back to where he first was. _What is he? Flash or Superman? _He looked at me with a calculating look on his face, and with his arms across his chest, he made a condemning "tsk tsk" sound.

"Akane."

I looked at him with an angry glare, trying not to show him the fear that made me sweat. My heart rate went up the roof, and I had become pale, I think. At least, that's what I felt.

"Killua I'm sorry," I said, and looked at him. "But I have to do this." I concentrated on my battle stance and prepared to pounce on him, ready to attack. I jumped, dashing over to him.

Do you know what he did? Oh, it was a very _splendid _thing a twelve-year-old can do to the sixteen-year-old who didn't want to hurt him in the first place, if it wasn't needed. He put out a hand and blocked me, and it hit my stomach and I was thrown fifty feet away, spitting thick blood. I tried to stand back up, but it was a vain effort. I crumpled back on the grass coughing out my precious lifeline. My head was spinning, and I could almost feel the blackout coming over to my consciousness.

He walked close to me I could see his shoes. I heard a gentle drop on the grass. Then, he spun on his heel and started to walk away in the same casual-trot pace.

"Killua….why?" I looked at the round card that was on the floor beside me, the digits staring at me. 99.

"I don't need it," he said, refusing to look. But he did stop. "You can have it."

The tears exploding from my eyes in a blend of anger, irritating, feeling touched, and happy, I picked up the badge and ran at him, he turning around before I could hit his back. We tumbled heavily on the grass, stopping when I was finally on top of him. I banged on his chest lightly, but I don't know. "Why, Killua? Why? Are you giving up? Or are you make _me _give up? I'm not that weak! Why?" I didn't know what was happening. I was just cracking up like a nut…-case. Nutcase. He inched up so that he sat up. Giving in to my weaknesses, I sobbed and leaned my head to his chest. "Why?" I didn't know what was the exact question, it just felt like I needed to ask it.

He put his arms around me and patted my back. "Lowered your self-esteem, didn't I?" he asked. "I'm sorry. I just can't fight you," he said.

"Why?" I insisted.

He paused. "Because you're my friend, after all."


	13. Have courage

**A/N: **Yeay! Fluffyness. But not romance, though.  
Seems Kurapika knows something about the past Akane's searching for! What may it be?

**Disclaimer **Yoshihiro Togashi owns HxH. If he does not continue it I will... I don't really know. Freak out, maybe?

* * *

Akane and Killua roamed the forest together, Akane helping Killua find his target – no, actually, she merely watched Killua. While she was watching, she was awed and scared at the same time; when she was twelve, she couldn't have _imagined _doing what he did professionally. She shuddered, remembering what he did in trap tower. She was right, and she was now confirming it – she was really an amateur compared to him. He did all things right, and when he did catch his prey, there were still a few days to the end of the week.

"What do we do now?" Akane asked. She was below the tree where Killua was resting. It was the third day.

"Head to the shore?" Killua suggested, and he jumped down the tree.

"Mm, why not?" Akane said, and started to walk the direction of the shore.

They walked and talked, had some laughs – especially Killua as Akane freaked out every few seconds with the sudden insects and leeches that got to her. There was one time, though, Akane got stung by a poisonous spider – _Of all insects, spiders, huh? _Killua thought, _pure irony – _and Killua had to suck the poison right out of her ankle. It swelled for a few hours but it healed soon enough to start walking. Before it did, though, Killua had to carry her; not that it was really much of a problem.

By the time the announcers rung '**In a while the fourth round of the trials will end; all the participants are invited back to the starting point of the test…**', they were already on the shore, Akane falling to the sand. Killua at first was alarmed, but when he saw Akane grinning childishly he relaxed and let a smile slip his face.

"Ahh! Nice sand, nice sand…"

Killua rolled his eyes. "Akane, that's _just _sand."

"It's _sand,_" Akane said, shooting a hateful glare at him, "not mucky mud or quicksand. Nothing special, just heavenly _sand._"

"Sand does not fall from heaven, Akane," a voice said, and there was a pair of blue shoes in front of where Akane lay on the sand.

She looked up. "Na~~! Pika-chan!" Akane squealed and jumped over Kurapika. They fell on the sand, rolling.

While Gon, Leorio, and Killua looked over laughing, Kurapika asked with a faint blush over his dirty face, "What the hell?"

"Killua told me it would be cute," Akane said, and Kurapika immediately sent an icy glare to Killua who was grinning a 'Don't kill me, it's a joke; you know Akane loves jokes right?' But Akane didn't stop, and continued to tattle excitedly. "Besides it's like Pikachu! Haven't you ever watched Pokemon? Your name is so connectable! Kurapikachu!" Akane started to laugh and holler.

Kurapika started to help her up, and Akane leaned on his shoulder. "Boy, that was one hell of a joke… and one hell of a week, too, sheesh." She started to dust herself, and looked up at him. "How was your week?"

"Tiring," Kurapika sighed. "With Hisoka, it was even worse."

Akane shuddered. She'd had enough troubles with Hisoka, she wouldn't want her friends to be in trouble with him, too. Maybe she could do something about it… "I think… Hisoka has taken a liking on us."

"What?" the other four looked at her.

"Hisoka has taken a liking to us, or you, or maybe yeah, just literally all of us. Not every day you come up to him and get out safe, right?" Akane said. "I mean, that's HISOKA we're talking about! Facing Hisoka is instant death if you—"

"Hisoka whacked Gon in the face!" Leorio said. "Is that not enough?"

Akane shook her head, and told her companions to go closer to her. Hisoka could hear them if they don't stick close. Hisoka had that questioning look on his grinning face cocked to the side. "We'd be dead by now if Hisoka isn't taking interest. Hisoka is _Hisoka, _after all."

"That explains much," Killua said. "So we stick together from now on."

"That is…" Akane said, "If the exam allows it." She sighed as they all sent her curious gazes. "I think they're trying to peel us away already… this is the first step. The last round would mean it. Hunters can survive without others to help him. That's what they're trying to check at," Akane said. "I guess I'm not that capable, am I, Killua?"

All eyes went to Killua, and he laughed. "Ah… he-he… not much…"

"Anyway," Kurapika said, "How many are we left here?"

"One, two, three…" Akane counted, "Nine, all in all. Us five, Hisoka, Hanzo, that pin-man, and Ponzu, I think… or was the name Pokkle…"

"Well, whatever," Leorio said. "We just have to be on guard from now on."

Killua nodded. "Seems to me the Hunter Organizations have some pretty games fixed up for us."

* * *

Later, they were asked to climb up the airship. Akane lay around in the cafeteria, drinking some soda with Killua. Gon went up watching the clouds pass by. Leorio was asleep in a corner.

Kurapika went near Gon. "Thanks, Gon. It's your interference that made me still be here, this far."

"Nah, that's nothing," Gon said.

"Gon…" Kurapika started. "Did something happen in the fourth round?" He paused, watching as Gon flinched a little. "You seemed well shaken up when we met." He looked at Gon. "It's worrying me." He knew he was acting like a mother again, and Killua's gonna tease him about it soon, but it didn't matter. Gon was troubled, and this was the least he could do.

Gon sighed. "My target was Hisoka." He looked outside the window, eyes getting cloudy. It was obvious he didn't want to return to those moments, that he wanted to leave them, but since his friend was… "I followed him around. I trained. At some point, a managed to get his tag, but I was being followed too. I was held immobile by a poison dart. The guy… he didn't have a problem getting my tag. After that, Hisoka took his tag and my tag back and killed the other guy. He came up to me and gave me his tag and my tag… he said he was lending it to me. I said I didn't want it, that I'd want to get it by myself but… he hit me on the face, hard. It didn't feel right and I didn't like it, how I couldn't hit back. How I was so helpless." He sighed, and Kurapika looked at him with understanding eyes, watching as the tears well in his brown eyes. "I was about to give in to my weakness, about to be sure I was really so dumb. So I wanted to have somebody with me, to prove it wrong. I was battling with myself, that's why I was looking for you both."

"Gon," Kurapika said, and Gon looked at him with inquisitive eyes. "Leorio and I got here because of you."

"Hehe…." Gon laughed. "No, I'm the one supposed to be thanking you."

**

* * *

In a while, the president will receive you for a conversation. When you're called, please come to the first reception room of the first floor. Candidate # 44, we ask that you please come to the reception room.**

"Now that's weird, the chairman's taking the candidates to _talk _to," Akane said to Leorio who she hung around with. They were in the cafeteria, where Akane was still reflectively sipping on her soda. "You don't suppose this is the last round? Our verbal capability?"

"Maybe," Leorio said. "But I don't think so. Maybe it's _about _the last round, but not exactly the last round. Some kind of preparation to it, maybe."

"Maybe," Akane said. "Maybe."

The candidates were called by number, it was soon enough when Akane was called. "**Candidate #98!**"

Akane walked from the cafeteria and made her way. She kind of got lost on her way to the reception room, but after around five minutes of walking, she found it. She popped her head into the door and grinned sheepishly. "Gomen, Chairman-san. I got kinda lost." Then she got in and closed the door.

"Oh, you're not the first," Chairman Netero said. "But you're the first girl, brave soul."

"I am?" Akane asked, and started to think. _Oh yeah, I haven't seen a girl around here yet. _"Hmm. What are we going to do today, Chairman-san?"

"Please, call me Netero," the Chairman said. "I would just like to ask some questions, that's all."

"Okay, Netero-san," Akane nodded, sitting on the sheet that was on the floor.

"Above all, why do you want to become a hunter?" he asked.

"Well, you see, Netero-san," Akane said, "I was raised in southern Rome and my family doesn't really seem like my family. I understand being a hunter gives you certain privileges in research. Besides, being a hunter puts up a person's status, and I'm also in for the extra training." She laughed. "I've been having a good time."

"Okay," Netero said. "Among the eight other candidates, who takes the most of your attention?"

Akane rubbed her chin, thinking. "Negatively, it would be Hisoka, #44; he's really powerful and scary, I have seen that myself. Positively, it would be #404, Kurapika. There's this air around him, I don't know; he also seems to know something related to what I'm after."

"Second-to-the-last question," Netero said. "Who do you want to fight with the least?"

"Oh, there's a lot," Akane said. "There's Killua, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. I would also say I don't want to have to cross ways with Hisoka."

"Okay, last one," Netero said. "Who do you want to fight with the most?"

"Oh, I don't know," Akane said. "Maybe Hanzo? He's like, the only choice remaining." Akane scratched her head. "Aah, throughout the exam, Netero-san, I've learned to be more humble. I'm not the best in my field, I guess, and I will never be."

"Okay, thank you," Netero said. "You may leave now, enjoy your rest."

Akane bowed slightly, and went out the room.

_Now what in the name of Allah is that for?_

* * *

Akane listened as Netero finished the rest of the candidates for the little 'chat.' Leorio watched curiously as Akane's ears pricked up whenever another candidate would be called out to the reception room. Killua and Gon went to the cafeteria, and later Kurapika, too. They all sat there, quietly, sipping on sodas, hot chocolate, coffee, tea.

"**Candidate #405!" **Akane heard, and she watched as Gon stood up and went on his way. Gon was kinda jittery, like a kid about to be reprimanded for breaking his mom's favourite vase. She wanted to say, _Gon, don't worry, Netero-san is really nice and he won't hurt you, he's actually very polite, and he just wants to talk to you about the people you favour or not _but she thought, _hey, what the hell, this would be spoiling him all the thrill._

"Who did you answer, Akane?" Kurapika asked as he put down his can of soda.

Akane, suddenly cut off from her reverie, looked up at Kurapika with curious blue eyes. "Hmm?"

"Why do you want to become a hunter?" he said, eyes distant as he looked faraway. Apparently he's deeply thinking, and Akane got into her head not to ask him, since it seems to be so personal. Then why… was he asking? He does know asking also means a bring back, and that he has to answer back, right?"

Oh, but hell. She just answered the question. "I told Netero-san that I wanted to become a hunter because I wanted to do some research, and I do know the privileges… also to train." She left her voice a note higher to leave the unsaid question, _You? _

"Research on what?" Kurapika asked. It was either he was ignoring the hanging question, or he just really didn't notice. No, that would be stupid. He was the kind of person who saw through everything and thought through everything. He was definitely ignoring it.

Akane chewed on her lip. Should she tell him? No, maybe not, since it's personal and he could be related to him. Or maybe, yes, because he could help. She turned her eyesight to diferent things to not meet Kurapika's eyes full of question. Then she faced him. She decided.

"My family."

Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Akane sighed. Here come the story of her life again. "You see… back in my hometown, most people have black hair and dark eyes; well, I'm not really that kind of type. My parents swear they are my parents, but I can see through them and see there's a lie behind them all. I just wanted to look around, you know; maybe I can really find the truth, or be left out the blue. Is there a hunter like that? An answer hunter?" She gave her time to laugh light heartedly. "Oh, but the privileges are privileges. So here I am." She raised her eyebrows to add effect, and of course to say, _and you? _But it was left nonverbal.

"Akane, I think I know—"

* * *

"**NOTE TO CANDIDATES! THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WE'LL ARRIVE IN A WHILE AT THE PLACE WHERE THE LAST ROUND WILL BE EXECUTED."**

The sudden loud shout from the speaker broke Kurapika's sentence. Suddenly, he lost all gut to say it again. What he knew. How maybe, just maybe, she was also like him. From the same origin. But she didn't know.

It ached him how here he was, trying to avenge the reality that was taken from him, and here she was, ignorant, unknowing.

How he could do something, but he didn't have the courage to do so. And that was the thing his father last told him. _Yūki o dashite, Kurapika _(have courage, Kurapika)_._ Kurapika felt the tears coming, so he excused himself and abruptly left the cafeteria, away from eyes which would judge him. He leaned on a wall by the corrider. _Watashi-tachi wa itsumo anata to issho ni sa remasu. _(We will always be here for you.) He tried to stop a sob, since he needed to be strong. Always._ Ato hitoiki._(You can do it.)

Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and in front of him was Akane; not with questioning eyes, but with understanding ones. He needed someone, and he immediately fell into her embrace, and they stayed like that. Interlocked in a comforting embrace. It was a long time before since he felt weak. And he didn't want to _be _weak, but sometimes it just comes naturally.

"Don't worry, Kurapika," Akane said. "We will always be here for you."


	14. Surprises

**Disclaimer: **I do not own HXH; Togashi Yoshihiro does.**  


* * *

(Akane's POV)**

"Don't worry, Kurapika," I told him. "We will always be here for you."

There was this look on his face that showed shock, but then it showed acceptance, the feeling of being comforted. Oh, of course. But I didn't think my… what do you say, my comforting powers work this good.

Well, just as long as it works the good way, I'm happy.

"Thanks, Akane," he said, tone solemn. Obviously his thoughts still lingered on whatever what was on his mind.

I wanted to ask him what he knew, since his sentence started with 'I think I know,' but _I _know that this wasn't the right time to ask. Not now, since he is depressed and pressured about the last round of the exam (or maybe that's just me).

Curiousity was gnawing on me, but since I know curiousity killed the cat, and I _am _feeling like a neko recently, I thought, maybe not know. On the last day of the exam, I'll ask him. When we're both hunter-buddies. Hunter-buddies, that didn't sound right.

We stood like that for a few moments, staring at each other in silence, sometimes looking at the floor, but we didn't move. We were dwelling in our own thoughts. I squeezed his shoulder when I heard the speaker announce that we have landed, ready to go; Kurapika, with no words spoken, pulled me through the corridor by gripping my hand. He led me up til we were where the rest of the candidates remaining gathered, a tiny silver walled room. Gon spotted us and waved a hand. It wasn't really needed since there were only nine of us, but hey, that's Gon. I waved my own free hand and looked at Kurapika, who was looking at his shoes. I looked at him, sighing. I squeezed his hand. "C'mon, we have an exam to finish."

He just smiled at me and we went to Gon, Killua, and Leorio.

_Here we go, _I thought. _The last round._

* * *

We were led out of the airship to a gigantic building, terrifically built, very… say, exotic. Not like the usual box-shaped sky-scrapers. But it was like back home, something like the Parthenon far up east, too. But more modern. Anyway, from the front, eight of us was led by a man in a suit to a room with a very high ceiling. Inside were the Chairman and the other examiners. Oh, and like our guide, and there were these scary men with dark shades and sharp black suits, maybe they're bodyguards of the sort. They looked like creepy lawyers, and I've had enough of lawyers! Other than that, Chairman Netero was beside some kind of easel with a white piece of cloth covering it. _I wonder what is it?_

"The last round," he said, "is a form of duel, 1 on 1." He gripped the cloth and saying, "The groups are as follows," he pulled it off so quick, you could hear that whipping noise created by the cloth against the air.

The easel carried a canvas. The canvas had some kind of heirarchical map. I noticed there were numbers, most likely the number badges, paired up.

…_Wait a sec… _When I realized which numbers were paired to which, and when I finally realized this might as well be a duel round, not a dancing-waltz-pair-up-in-two-please round,I felt cold sweat lingering on my forehead. I scanned the easel and I was even more worried. _This can't be happening._

_No, no, this isn't happening. _I rubbed my eyes to be sure I was _wrong _in whatever I was seeing. But no, it didn't change. I released a scared, terrified gasp, and I immediately looked to my left. Kurapika was looking at me with an uneasy gaze, too. He didn't like what he was seeing. Gon, Killua, and Leorio was looking at me with a bad, 'I-wish-this-didn't-have-to-be' gaze, too. Hisoka was rubbing his chin, interested.

But none of those actually _helped. _I was still scared. Scared that I will be losing, or maybe winning because the other quitted for me. Scared to lose my dignity all over again. Scared to die. Scared of so much.

"The rules are like this: one victory, and you pass the exam." The Chairman looked at us one-by-one, but paused a little longer at me. "In other words, in this tournament, the players fall one by one. The design of the pyramid is to designate the place of the loser, not the winner. Consequently, each player has two chances to battle. Any questions?" he finished up.

As the others continued to ask questions, I moved restlessly around, heading to Kurapika. I sighed. "Well, break a leg," I told him, though not completely honest.

"You too," he said. He patted my head and I walked away.

"The fight's rules are simple," Chairman Netero continued. "Weapons are allowed, and pushing your opponent to quit means victory!" he said a little happily. "Killing of one's opponent is immediate disqualification." He then smiled. "The pyramid only shows that only _one _of you nine will have to fail."

Thick silence enveloped the room, and when Chairman Netero finally got sick of it – say, around 15 seconds – he said, "Okay, let's get ready for the first round."

I took a nervous gulp and an unwary step as one man with the dark shades and sharp suit announced the ultimate.

"First round, #98 and #404, Akane and Kurapika."

* * *

Kurapika and I walked toward the center of the arena. We looked at each other with determined yet uneasy glances. I knew both of us didn't want to do this, but we had to.

I had a feeling that he would decide just to quit out, just to save me, but I hope he'd stay at least a little longer. I wanted to be myself, save a little of my dignity, for pete's sake. First, when it was Killua. Now, here with Kurapika. No, I can't keep doing this. I have to fight for my win _this _time.

And I won't let him spoil that moment.

I set up myself, flexed my muscles invisibly (never realized I had them, ha-ha), getting ready for the exercise coming up next. Kurapika, meanwhile, took out his tanto – he did not unsheath them, though. They were still kept neatly in, no blade coming out ready to harm.

I glared at him. I did not want to be weak, and this time, I'm proving it to him. I will not be weak. I will be stronger than what I am. I will show them.

He ran to me, hitting my arm with his tanto slightly. "Tell me, I can just quit for you, Akane… I still have a next round, anyway."

I shot him a murderous glare, and I felt my eyes…feel weird. His eyes widened, but before he could react to whatever my eyes were doing, I hit him back. "Do it when you're really honest with it," I hissed.

I ran to him, and he dodged by crossing his tanto to cover his face, but there wasn't any rule that I can't hit below the belt, right? So I did, just to hold him incapable for a few seconds, and started to hit him with punches and kicks to the chest and to the back. I tripped him, and he fell to the floor. I stood over him, towering over him.

He stood up, and was poised for action again. I positioned myself as well. For half a second, I loosened my ground and smiled at him.

Then, the dance began all over again.

Let's get this short. Since he didn't want to hit me lethally or hard as to injure me, and I just wanted to play around, it lasted pretty long. When did he quit, ask you? When I fell to my knees after he hit my stomach with his tanto. I started coughing up blood; damn, that was one fault I never got to fix – I never got to guard my stomach area right. He looked at me desperately, before he finally gathered his dignity in a bottle, threw it in the trash. The people were expecting _me _to say 'I quit,' of all words, but instead, he just smiled at me and told the referee, "I quit… take her to the medic." Then he slipped to the corner of the room, eyes fading dim under the shadow of his bangs.

_No! No! NO! DON'T! _I wanted to shout, but more blood came out of my mouth as I tried to open it. It was hopeless, the pool of blood I started to spit out starting to drown me, that's how I felt. Two strong pairs of hands started to lift me off the ground, but I was too exhausted to bother to check who. The lack of blood was starting to make my head spin 'round. Before they led me out of the room, though, I saw Kurapika look up slightly from his bangs and smile faintly.

"Congratulations."

* * *

I was brought to a white room, and the guys put me down on a bed. I stared, my eyesight blurring, at the gray the doctor gave me some kind of pill and gave me two glasses of water. He stared at me for, say, two and a half seconds, before he finally handed me some clothes. It was a t-shirt, red and black, and some jeans. He said something about clothes being laundered, before he helped me up. He left the room, and I thought maybe he wanted me to change. I was wearing my white camisole that I always wore under everything, and my white pants. I shrugged the pants off and wore the jeans, seeing the pants had bloodstains, too. I wore the t-shirt above my camisole and opened the door. The doctor, who had gray hair and awkward glasses, said something. I narrowed my eyes to show I couldn't understand, and he said it again.

"Do you want to watch the remaining matches?"

I nodded, thought a little less energetically than what I would have if I felt right. He handed me a bottle of water and assisting me with his shoulders, we went through a corridor and we went in a giant door, which I recognized as the same style as from the match-room. He led me in, and then I realized what was _really _happening with my eyes.

They turned scarlet.

Shock turned into pure energy. I let go of the doctor and leaned on the wall, clutching my head. I was having a headache not because of my eyes, but because of the shock. There was too many to bother about, and when I looked up, Kurapika saw me and his eyes widened in shock, too. He was distracted for half a second, but since _Hisoka _was there attacking him, he had to keep focus, even though I could say he was now _thoroughly _distracted.

Who's fault? Mine, of course.

Too much to bother about! Why was Kurapika fighting with Hisoka? Was he really the one supposed to be? I checked the easel and squinted my eyes to see. It was true. There was 98, then 404, and above was 44. Why didn't I notice that?

Other than that… how the hell is this happening? My eyes… they're red! They're creepily red! Just like Kurapika! How is this possible? Is this what happens whenever I _feel _them get hotter and feel like there's something above them? I couldn't remove the red, everything I saw was red. Kurapika was red. Hisoka was red. The wall was red, the floor was red, the ceiling was red. The windows, the people, Netero-san, the doctor. EVERYTHING was red.

_Get it off, get it off, get it off…_

I felt myself slink in a corner, surrendering to the unseen demons.

**

* * *

(Kurapika's POV)**

_Aaarg! HISOKA.. _I couldn't hit him right, I was distracted. Akane's eyes were bright red, and I'm pretty sure she would be able to notice this time. She would ask me, and I don't know if I would have the gut to answer her.

A card flew, scratching my cheek. I dodged Hisoka's attacks. _But what will Akane do? How does Akane feel? She doesn't seem to be used to this._

I saw her slink to a corner, and my eyes widened, before I could release a scared gasp.

'Don't, Akane."

**

* * *

(Akane's POV)**

Did I hear Kurapika? I had a feeling I did. I blinked away my dizziness and looked up to him, but he was thoroughly focused on his battle, eyes narrowed dangerously to Hisoka.

Sudddenly, he cast a worried glance to him, the end of his mouth twitching slightly to a smile when he saw me awake again.

_Maybe he did say something._

I looked at him, watching them fight. It was a deadly battle. Hisoka was fast, Kurapika just a little slower. Then, Kurapika's eyes turned red, too. I was shocked because when they turned red, Kurapika became so fast, and he attacked Hisoka so blindingly speedily.

_What if… what if he knows why this happens?_

I could feel the suspicion and doubt climbing up my spine. He knows _something. _

Maybe that's what he knew from the very beginning.. Why didn't he tell me?

I buried my face in my palms, trying to get rid of the doubt, because after all, he _is _my friend. When I put it up, Hisoka was walking to him, and then whispered something in his ear… my keen hearing heard something about September, but that was it. (Did my ears evolve over the Hunter Exam? Hisoka was around ten feet away, and it was a bloody whisper, for pete's sake) Kurapika's eyes flashed scarlet, and Hisoka announced he quitted.

Kurapika fell to the ground.

"Kurapika!" I shouted, and dashed to him when I was sure it was already, say, legal to do so. I was worried. What did Hisoka do to him? "Kurapika, are you alright?" Gon looked worriedly from a distance.

"Hisoka..." he said in a bare whisper. "He knows."


	15. Mixed Emotions

**A/N: **Boy was I having a writing spree of my life. xD Other than that, I was reading the manga, so the dialogues are mostly from that. I was reading Volume 9 (Pretty far from the scenes here, actually) and I freaked out when I saw Kurapika with brown eyes. I already _knew _they said he had brown eyes in the manga, but I didn't know he looked so... what terminology should I use... _hot _with them? He looks more exotic than he really is. AIIEE!

Okay, I should stick to one... Kurapika or Killua fansclub. Or maybe both, harhar. If not, maybe Kuroro or Illumi.

Killua had sky blue eyes in the Volume 9 cover. It freaked me out. xD I was like, "Dude, don't you have black/violet eyes?"

Aaaackk.. I should finish ranting. Original Word Count: 2,837

**Disclaimer: **Togashi owns HxH... I wonder if he could give it to me as a gift.

**

* * *

(Akane's POV)**

Wait, did I hear him right?

_Hisoka knows. _That did not make any sense! _Hisoka knows what?_

"What do you mean, Kurapika?" I asked again. Maybe I just heard him wrong. "What does Hisoka know?"

He looked at me, eyes flashing red once in a while. Apparently he was trying his hardest not to make them red completely, not to make them red at all. I don't know why it turns red, but I think I have a pretty good idea. He coughed out, "He knows where the Ryodan is… aargh!" He groaned in pain when he tried to stand up, apparently he had a wound. "I… I… I'm going out." He went out the door hurriedly.

"Kurapika!" I called and started to follow him, out into the corridor, but I never saw him. I returned to the arena, and Gon looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"Don't worry, Akane; that's Kurapika. He'll make it through the rain," he said, and went to the arena as he begun his fight with Hanzo.

I tried to focus on Gon's match with Hanzo to ignore that numbing, gnawing sensation. I wanted to run to Kurapika and ask him already, what does Hisoka know, what does _he _know. There were so many questions running in my head, I felt the world spinning.

I was brought back to reality when Gon cringed loudly and painfully… well, in pain. I suddenly realized Hanzo was _beating him up. _Whack him in the head, slap him, punch him, kick him, all terms of violence. There was a pretty massive pool of blood, too, and Gon was swimming around it.

"Gon! Don't give up!" I told him, and he grinned at me; this earned him another face-smack from Hanzo, though. _Damn that NINJA!_ I cursed at the back of my head. _Stop hitting on little boys! Face someone your size!_

Gon didn't want to give up, I knew his reasons. Hanzo didn't want to, either. Then, Hanzo broke his arm, and Gon writhed in pain in a little ball on the floor. Worry and anger now clouded my vision. I don't let anyone who does _that_ to Gon get away!

I _literally _felt smoke rise from my ears. I couldn't hear them anymore, my mind was like, '**Target found. Kill Hanzo the idiot ninja**' again and again and again like my Dad's annoying beeper.

_Say, I wonder how Dad is now? _I thought. _But this isn't the time for that, Dukarra. _

I never call myself by my last name unless I'm _really _serious, and me being _really _serious is very rare.

Then, Hanzo took out this long dagger thing and lashed it out, the point touching Gon's forehead, creating a tiny puncture wound. He started murmuring, "You do understand that with two words… you can end this, and still come back next year, right?" He looked angrily at Gon. "What is it, that is more important than your life? That you're being so strong about it? That you're not giving up?"

Gon looked at Hanzo with his brown eyes, his expression was familiar. I had a feeling when he started to say whatever he was bound to say, the world would cry fluffyness. And I was right.

"I want to meet my father."

_I bet his father would be proud of him, _I thought to myself. Gon's a brave boy, and he won't give up, until he meets his father, that is.

"He's a hunter somewhere, somewhere far from here," he stated. "I really think that someday… I'll meet him. And losing here, I think that I would never be able to meet him in my life." His eyes burning with determination, he stared deep into Hanzo's. "That's why I will never go back on my decision."

Hanzo looked at Gon, and I thought it was _sympathy _in his eyes. Maybe, because he immediately admitted he quitted.

Right after that, Gon fainted out of exhaustion.

* * *

While the medics brought Gon to the resting room, I watched the several battles, still trying to distract myself. I wanted to forget for the meanwhile—heck, I was supposed to be celebrating, I just _passed _the hunter exam without major injuries!

Everything seemed to be normal, nothing out-of-place, nothing really standing out against all others. Then Killua was to play, for the second time (since he quitted out on the first time with Pokkle, I think). I wished good luck to him, something like a last gift to him since ever since the start he was the one there for me. From the car in Dole Island, to the mountains in the second round, and even when I just needed someone to be there for me. Like a younger brother—no, even more like an older one, even though he's at least five years short, since I'm sixteen and he's twelve.

Killua was supposed fighting with the pin-man guy, apparently named Gitarakuru. (Quite a tongue twister, isn't it?) Gitarakuru came on the arena and Killua was staring at him casually, hands on his pockets, when Gitarakuru said, "It's been a long time, Killua."

Killua showed no face of recognition. Maybe Gitarakuru was wrong, I thought, but _I _was proved wrong when Killua gasped. What did Gitarakuru do? He plucked the pins off his face, and it changed into a pale face with dark eyes and ebony hair.

"Aniki," Killua muttered.

That weird guy… was Killua's older brother?

* * *

Killua's aura felt different after that. It was colder… scarier, more like an assassin than anything else.

I heard Gon's voice in my head. 'Oh, so you don't know?' he cheerily rung. 'He's the elite of an assassin family.'

_I know, I know, Gon, _I thought, _But this time…_

Killua stared dumbfoundedly at his older brother, who was apparently named Illumi. But he tried to keep cool, to be calm. His face showed no fear as of that moment, but I can feel him shivering in his cold sweat.

"Mother told me you beat her and Milluki," Illumi said.

"You could say it that," Killua said, just as cold. Is this how they talk as a family? Do they even talk as one? Creepy.

"Mom was crying. Succeeding in educating that way gives me such pleasure, but I'm worried to see him leave now.' After thinking a lot about it, she called me. To search for you. This is mere coincidence, she was worried you'd like to be a hunter. TO tell you the truth, I wanted an accreditation for my next work, that's why I'm here. Well, two birds with one stone," Illumi shrugged.

"I don't especially want to become a hunter. I just wanted to try the exam," Killua said, but his voice was faltering. His eyes seemed to have been turning a little… different that before, and I could see his pupils dilating and turning back to normal in different times.

"You won't be a hunter, Killua," Illumi said. "Because you're meant to be a killer." Killua watched his older brother with keen, unstable eyes, but obviously anger shone in them. "You're just a puppet, dark and passionless. You feed yourself with shadow, the only pleasure you can feel comes from the _death _of people," Illumi continued. "You're just as we taught you, Father and I. What were you expecting in becoming a hunter?"

"It's not that I wanted to become a hunter that led me here," Killua hissed. "There's something I'd like to have."

"No, there isn't something," Illumi insisted, but Killua retorted, "Yes, there is something, and you don't know!"

"So, tell it to me!" Illumi fought back. "What would _you _want?" Killua remained silent, unanswering, "Well? There's nothing, is there?"

"There is!" Killua shouted. I saw his eyes soften, and I had a feeling he was going to talk about … "I want… I want to become friends with Gon."

Bingo! No brother would be too cold not to melt with that, right? Oh, but it's the Zaoldyecks we're talking about. What to do?

"I'm fed up with killing," Killua said, and I thought he was about to sob. "I just want to become friends with Gon. I want to have fun, like a normal kid."

Illumi, that cold-hearted bastard. He said,"That's impossible! You can't make people your friends. The only judgment you're able to pass on a human is to know if you can kill him or not. Because that's what we taught you. You are just amazed by Gon. You're always together, aren't you? This has nothing to do with being friends. In the future, you'll grow sick of him and would want to kill him. Because you'll ask yourself if you're able to kill him or not; he's just your plaything for the meanwhile."

"I am getting sick of you, bastard," I muttered under my breath. Leorio stepped up behind me and shouted, "GO ON! BURST HIM LIKE YOU USUALLY DO, AND PASS THE EXAM! YOU WANT TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH GON, RIGHT, KILLUA? SO DON'T FALL ASLEEP! YOU GET ALONG WELL, AND YOU ARE **FRIENDS, **UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHERS, RIGHT? I'M PRETTY SURE GON FEELS THE SAME WAY!"

"Eh?" Illumi's face was still stoic, but now there was curiosity. He turned to Leorio. "Really?"

"THAT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS NOW, IDIOT!"

"That bothers me," Illumi said. "Other people think he's his friend… Oh, I know!" Illumi said, waving a finger to denote an idea. "I can just _kill _Gon!" He took out three pins and added, "Killers don't need friends."

Killua looked at Illumi, obvious terror in his eyes. He was shaking, drowning in cold sweat, if you ask me. Those moments when you see someone younger than you and want to suddenly run and hug him, to comfort him? I was reining that feeling. I wanted to hug him… Tell him he'll be alright, and he'll be the Killua everybody knows The Killua Leorio, Kurapika, and I love. The Killua Gon took in as his best friend. The Killua that knows how to have fun. The Killua that likes to play with his skateboard. The Killua that had amazing talents. The Killua that called himself superman.  
The Killua that I took like my younger brother.

"Where is he?" Illumi asked the referee. I wanted to whack him. I knew I was amateur to him, but still. I watched as he threw the pins to the referee's face and it distorted, and soon he said the Gon was in Resting Room Two.

_He's not really going to do it, right?_

I poised myself, ready for action. If he does get out the door, I'll try my best to hold him back. I won't let him lay a finger on Gon. Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua… they'be been like brothers to me. And just because the exam ended doesn't mean that would be gone. They will still be my brothers, in a moment of my life.

When I saw Leorio, the bodyguard-men, and Hanzo stood up at the door, I stood up too and went with them, beside Leorio.

"Damn! If only I didn't need this certificate for my next work. If I kill them here, I'll be disqualified and Killua will pass. I was about to make a mistake, because even if I kill Gon, The result will be the same, yes." I looked at Illumi, now with the anger, fear, was the confusion. The poor assassin bastard was _talking to himself! _Dude, you better get them to the mental hospital, the poor ass. "I know!" he said. "I'll start with passing the exam, that I can kill Gon! Doing it this way, even if I kill everyone here, my title can't be taken back, can it?" he asked Chairman Netero.

Chairman waited a second before answering, "No, no special rules allows that."

_Damn the Hunter Organization! No conscience for human life!_

"You already have the answer," Illumi continued, and I tried to rein my anger. I was _totally _pissed off, and I believe I haven't been this mad in my entire life. "'With my strength, I can't beat my brother,'" he said in a deadpan tone. "'If you feel you can't beat him, don't confront him.' I was the one who gave you that advice, remember?" Illumi stretched a hand, and Killua's eyes dilated. Something was happening, something that you can't see with bare eyes.

"Don't move," Illumi said. "If you move even a tiny bit, I'll consider it the start of the fight. When our bodies touch, the real fight begins." He looked at Killua with not-so-brotherly eyes. "There's only one way to stop us, you understand? But don't forget: If you confront me, your precious _friend _Gon will die." The word 'friend' was said with pure obsolete mockery. Killua's eyes was now of pure terror, especially as Illumi's hand went closer… closer… closer…

"GO ON, KILLUA! WHATEVER HAPPENS, WE WON'T LET ANYONE GET KILLED, NOT GON, NOT YOU!" Leorio called. "WHATEVER HE DOES, WE'LL STOP HIM! DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO!"

I chewed on my lower lip. _Don't give in, Killua, don't give in… _I chanted in my mind. _If you believe, you'll be stronger than that bastard aniki of yours! You're stronger than him! Don't give in…_

I knew he would. It was something you knew from the start. The fright in his eyes told it all. He just had to rub it in when he finally said, "Damn… I lost."

That crazy thing for a brother he had said, "Ahh, I feel better! I'm done with the fights." He laughed. "I lied to you, Killua, I have no intention of killing Gon. I just wanted to test you, and now I got what I wanted." He leaned down to Killua, rubbing Killua's platinum mop of hair. "You don't have the qualifications to make any friends. Moreso, you don't need any. You'll continue listening to what Father and I taught you. You only have to do your work correctly and everything will be okay."

_The bastard._

Killua never talked after that, closing his lips clamped like an oyster. He curled into a ball in the corner, face buried in his knees. Leorio and I tried to talk to him, but he didn't say a word.

I, of course, tenacious as I am, did _not _give in. Instead I patted his shoulder and told him, in the most tender voice I could, "Killua… you don't need qualifications to make friends. If you want them, you can have them. Please… I will always be your friend. Even if you are an assassin, even if you turn back on us. I will still be your friend."

That was when I had enough and I just ruffled his hair, then walked out the arena.

* * *

I sat outside, by the steps of the majestic building, staring at the forest outside, at the blue sky, and the brown soil, and the green grass, and the white building. There was really nothing I could do…

Nothing but cry.

There was too much to handle. I never imagined I'd go through so much stress. I never imagined. Gon getting hurt… Killua breaking down like that… Kurapika running away. Now, it's _I _that ran away. I didn't want to know what would happen to Leorio.

Again, everything is running in my favor. Whose fault? Theirs. If not for them, I wouldn't be here. It's them, that's why I'm here…

…and yet I can't do anything in return.

I buried myself in my knees again. I can't believe how _weak _I am, compared to their standards. Is that really what's true? That I'm really just pathetically weak? I've never felt any stupider!

I can't believe how they've been there for me, but I couldn't help them when _they _needed me! How stupid!

I continued to sob, when suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, and saw Kurapika looking up at the sky. "Don't punish yourself, Akane," he told me. "It's not like you could do anything, right? Everybody would feel helpless then."

I looked at him, and leaned on his shoulder. He didn't flinch when he started to feel the tears that ran down his arm as I started to cry on him. "I am so stupid, Kurapika… I couldn't help him…"

Kurapika looked up at me with a wistful smile, and then he put his arms around me. Trying his best to comfort me. He didn't say anything, we just stayed like that. I felt like I was being guarded by an older brother… it felt nice and warm.

"I have felt that way too, Akane."


	16. Warring Ideas

**A/N: **I am so sorry, people! This is the ONLY time-I wish-I'd have to do this again. Perspective changing. But it didn't feel right without it, so I had to do it! Sorry. Just please make the most of it and enjoy how _different _their thoughts are.

Next time, no more things like this (I hope)

**The Disclaimers I keep forgetting to put: **Yoshihiro Togashi owns HxH and not me.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 16**

**Warring ideas  
**

**

* * *

**

**(Kurapika's POV)**

"I have felt that way," I said. My voice was solemn, warm, comforting (at least I believed so). And it was actually working on her, and we stayed like that, trying our best to comfort the other, quiet and put on the staircase of the building.

"Kurapika…" she started. "I wanted to ask you something…"

I tensed. _Ask. _When it was Akane, there was always something that bothered her, but I knew this would be something, say, delicate. I did not want to handle delicate situations; usually it ended up bad.

"Yeah?" I asked anyway. No harm in trying, right? Or maybe my opinion on that will change soon.

"…you said… you knew… something…" she muttered, not actually willing to ask. She was curious, but she knew the situation could also be something not easy to handle. She wanted to show up a brave front, but if her heart says no, her entire body shuts down and says _no. _That's exactly what was happening.

"About your family?" Kurapika asked. I wanted to do this. If it was straightforward, then straightforward it is. No I-will-duck-I-don't-care-if-I'm-not-a-man thoughts. Get to the point.

"Yeah…" Akane said. She, instead, was really getting shy. She did not want to force me to talk, and she didn't seem to be ready to listen, but time has come, maybe that's what she thought. Here goes all.

"This is merely a hypothesis, Akane, and it has been proven in some points, but I think… I think…" I lingered on the last two words, not ready yet to tell her. How will she react? I didn't want to know, but I wanted _her _to know the truth. The prices we pay for knowledge.

"You think what, Kurapika? Tell me."

"…I think you're Kuruta."

**

* * *

(Akane's POV)**

Wait, what? Did I just hear that? Seriously?

_He thinks I'm __**Kuruta**__?_

Isn't he Kuruta too? And besides, if I heard right from my father, the Kurutas were wiped out years ago, by this group of bandits called the Genei Ryodan that—

—that Kurapika wants to take revenge on!

The story fits right. I think… How many years has it been since the Kuruta massacre, again? Five, right? I was eleven then. That means, I wasn't a Kuruta massacrebaby… which means…

I _am _really a Kuruta, that is , if my parents—I'm talking about the biological ones—are really Kuruta and not just some random foreigner…

"You think I'm Kuruta," I stated again, just to be sure.

'Your eyes turn red," he said. "That is _one _thing."

"So what if it is true, and I am, really, Kuruta, proven hypothesis, that's what I mean, what should I know?" I asked him.

"That if you were Kuruta, living in Rukuso with the rest of the Kurutas," he said, voice solemn and thinking deep as he stared back at the clouds, as he looked tranquil and at peace, but I knew the warring emotions in his heart, "you would've been orphaned at the age of eleven, no family, no friends. Just _us._"

**

* * *

(Kurapika's POV)**

I don't think she believes me.

It was _only, _supposedly, a hypothesis, but I am pretty sure she really is. Scarlet eyes? That's one distinct characteristic. I can never be more sure.

But she wouldn't believe me.

"Kuruta… Kuruta…" she started murmuring, like she was tasting the word, checking if it sounds right.  
It wasn't really surprising. It was to be expected. She _wasn't _expecting me to give that hypothesis, no matter how probable it is. She wasn't expecting that at all.

That feeling of robbing her identity, that was the feeling that succumbed me completely. It didn't feel right. I didn't like hurting you.

"You really believe that, don't you?" she asked again, in a softer, weaker voice.

"Yes, I do," I told her firmly. Somehow, I know, I would be able to prove that she is one of my kind. That even if she didn't really grow in Rukuso Valley, she is also Kuruta. That I won't be the last Kuruta anymore.

For some reason, I felt less lonely.

"Kurapika… Tell me… your story…" she whispered.

I raised an eyebrow. "What story?" I asked her.

"Why you're here," Akane said. "Why you aren't with your family. You were talking… Ryodan?"

I bit my lip. Going back to that part of my past wasn't really what you could say as something enjoyable. It was tiring, and painful. Repeating movie, nonstop. I've actually gotten pretty sick of it.

But I have to be honest, at some point, it is the only thing that drives my forward.

"This is what happened, Akane."

**

* * *

(Akane's POV)**

May god forgive my vivid imagination.

I did not have fun, I can say so much. Kurapika's words were so heavy and solemn. I shouldn't have asked him. I could say it was painful for him. But what was more painful? Losing your family, or knowing they've lied to you?

Oh, no no no. I guess _my _situation is more painful… Losing my real family, and my adoptive family lying to me.

I could feel the breaking.  
He told me everything he saw in words that activated your mind to imagine. I wish he hadn't—thinking merely of the Ryodan and the massacre gets my blood boiling. The _bastards! _How could they do that? Kill everybody with their bare hands, taking their lives away like trash.

Is that what the most notorious gang of criminals are capable of?

The deserve the title, I get it. I want to make them keep it for themselves. Then, we will kill them all.

"What's your plan?" I asked Kurapika.

"The original plan," he said. "Kill the Ryodan," he said with bloodthirsty coldness, "and find my brother's Eyes."

"I'll help you, Kurapika," I told him, voice firm.

"You don't need to, Akane," he answered.

"That wasn't a suggestion, it was a statement," I told him. "So how does this come out?" I cocked my head to the side. "…tell me, is that what Hisoka just told you?"

"How come no details miss you?" he asked me, a laughing tone on his voice. He didn't notice? My parents always told me I had such keen eyes of observation.

"Because back in trap tower, you always freak out when you saw those spiders hanging at the sides," I said, laughing now. He did scream quite girlishly those times. "But to get to the point…"

"Yes, that is what Hisoka told me," he said. "'September 1, York Shin. The Spiders will be there.'"

"September… September 1… That's when the auctions start!" I exclaimed. My uncle, my mom's rich brother, brought me there when I was five. There was a lot of people, a great deal of ruckus.

There's a lot of cool stuff, too. There was this one game he bought, I think it cost him around 20,000,000,000! He was bidding so high, and no one argued.

After that though, I never saw him ever again. Mom kept telling me he's on an adventure, but he's never been in an adventure that he did not mail me after six months of leaving.

Never.

"Have you gone to them?" he asked.

"Yeah, I have," I told him. "But I don't really remember much…" I was five, for god's friggin sake.

He paused. "Any interesting stuff?"

I browsed through my memory. I could see through it like photographs in a photo album; that is, when I do take it all seriously. But sometimes, I have short term memory loss. I'm a weird person.

"There's some jars, some bones, some games… some—" The picture that stuck in my head shocked me. When I was five, it was nothing; even amazed me, I was staring at it, watching it float. Now it creeped me out. "Kurapika… they…"

"The Scarlet Eyes, isn't it?" he whispered with a sad voice. He sighed. "I was expecting that."

I chewed on my lip. "You're not thinking of getting a job involving the mafia in six months, are you?"

"I'm not thinking," he answered me. "I'm already planning." There was this unheard sigh in his voice. I knew he was trying to control a fierce emotion—say, anger? "Akane, I'm _here_ for this," he said. "This is all I've lived for these five years. To avenge my brothers, to get their Eyes back."

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. "And this is how you'll die, too."

**

* * *

(Kurapika's POV)**

"And this is how you'll die, too."

Akane's words pulled on _something _inside me. _And this is how you'll die, too, Kurapika. Vengeance does it all._

Hooray Vengeance?

Instead, I just kept calm. I _had _to stay firm on my decision, and I _will _stay firm on it—no doubt about that. "I've prepared myself for that," I said.

Akane looked at me with worried eyes. I knew she didn't want me to… say, look this much in pain, but what could I do? What could _she _do? This is the only way I have lived the past five years. In pain, in solitude, in loneliness. Feeling the urge for vendetta burn in my Kuruta veins.

"Not everybody is prepared to see you leave."

I looked at her with knitted eyebrows, again. She seems to be speaking almost _poetically, _as if there was a secret code underneath her heavy-sounding words. I could see the first layer of that—she didn't want me to do it.

Can she really see something more in me other than this? Because I don't.

"Kurapika," she said, "There can still be a chance. There's hope, there's inspiration, motivation. Luck. Life. Friendship." She looked at me with burdened eyes. She was _really _making me feel like I should rethink everything—but no. Five years worth of thinking over it, to this one day—no. No, no, no. "There's still something in store for you."

I sighed. She's the tenacious kind. "There will be _nothing _in store for me before I manage to vanquish the Spiders."

She was the one to sigh now. "There is, Kurapika," she said. "You just don't have the eyes to see."

**

* * *

(Akane's POV)**

Now tell me, how wrong did that sound?

I don't feel like joking around, but what I just said just sounded like a _very, very _wrong pun. He wanted to find the Eyes of his fallen brothers and I tell him he doesn't have the eyes to see.

I am not amused of myself.

But still, I was really serious in the things I was trying to get him to grasp. He was completely offering his life to the duty of revenge, like his life is for his people. But heck, if I was his people—he just called me Kuruta, right?—I would say, 'Go live a happy life for us!' other than 'AVENGE US, SURVIVOR!'

I am being completely honest.

He sighed. Obviously he hated the tenacious kinds, especially those who fought against him—also known as Akane Dukarra, a.k.a me!—and his sigh was really filled with emotions, like he wanted to let them all out. He didn't want to argue, obviously, he just wanted to reach his point out. But I will not let go of this battle, and I will not compromise. I want him to see what is right.

"Akane."

"Kurapika."

He winced at my cold tone. "I guess there's nothing to it about this argument."

I grinned at him, very childishly, to lighten the already so heavy mood. "Good thing you know that."

He didn't answer, just stared back at the blue sky that was starting to gray. It was about to rain, I could say that.

"Kurapika."

He looked down at me with eyes just a shade deeper than the color of the sky. It reflected the grayness, so deep and obscuring the emotions. "Yeah?"

"I wanted to… I wanted to…" I muttered, not really _wanting _to tell, to hear it spit out of my mouth, just to make him know. "I wanted to ask about the Kurutas… about what you know… how my family might be and…" I was now tattling, losing control. I just needed to talk… I just needed to get it all out.

It was the only way I could make him know.

"Akane…" he whispered. "What I know—"

"AKANE! KURAPIKA!"

**

* * *

(Kurapika's POV)**

_How come that always just __**HAS **__to happen?_

Now this has to be on the Hunter's-grand-record-of-bad-luck. The first time was in the airship, when I was trying to tell Akane the first hypothesis. Now, I'm still trying to talk to her about her family she so wants to know about, and then people just barge in! SHEESH!

I looked at Leorio, whose face was tainted with worry and blood. His eyes were desperate, scouring the ground for a clue of whatever he's searching for.

"We do not have your porn magazine, Leorio," I told, and Akane chuckled. We _knew _how Leorio was—there was no point hiding it.

Instead of fuming or the reaction of sorts I wanted to get, he shook his head frantically, eyebrows still knitted together tightly. "No, no, that's not it; the thing is still in my briefcase. ...But what I mean is, it's Killua..."

Akane raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't he be in the arena?"

Leorio shook his head. "Well, he _was, _until when Bodoro and I fought, he just stepped in, killed Bodoro, and smearing himself with blood, walked out the door. I was thinking he'd come out through here."

Akane's face was now horror. "WHAT! No! Killua wouldn't do that! Killua's not acting like himself… there must be something wrong with him! Leorio, have you checked every hallway? He might have left some kind of blood tracks of the sort.

"No, none to take note of," he said. "Checked everywhere—that bloody assassin is a clean freak!"

Akane glared at him. "Ex-assassin! He does not want to be the heir of the Zaoldyeck clan again! He just wants to be a boy whose having his fun, enjoying his world and being himself! He just wants to be Gon's best friend!"

I watched her stomp away.

Sharing one frantic look at Leorio, we knew what we needed to do.

"AKANE!"

**

* * *

(Akane's POV)**

Those bloody bastards. Clean freak? Bloody assassin? Oh sure, that was the Killua of the past, the working word being_ past_. He's now the best little brother you'll ever have, a cool skateboard addict, someone fun to be with, someone you can trust. He is not the assassin of the Zaoldyeck clan anymore! He is just Killua!

I wiped the tears that ran down my eyes. I can't believe they can be so insensitive. Especially Kurapika. He did not think of even trying to defend. But _I, I _will defend Killua. Since he is the best I have now.

"KILLUA!" I called. "KILLUA WHERE ARE YOU!" I stumbled through patio, around the way but finding nothing. Leorio was right, he did come out the front door since there were blood smears all over, shaped like hands.

I got tired. Exhausted. Of the world. Of everything I had to think about.

I slumped on my bed in one resting room, and peeped at my bag. Blood smears. I checked it, seeing something that wasn't supposed to be there.

A piece of paper.

It was written in blood, but I could see it clearly.

_Akane._

_I'm sorry I had to leave without telling you… this is becoming more and more familial and more personal every time, so I decided maybe leaving without telling you guys would be better and safer for you. I do not want you to be on the bad side of my brother, father, or anybody else. So I have one favor to ask—please don't follow me anymore. There are some things I can handle on my own._

_You've been a nice friend. Pass the message to Gon. Thank you._

_Killua._

I shook my head, the tears dripping on the paper, smudging the bloody handwriting. "Sorry Killua," I whispered. "This time, I can't do the favor."


	17. MissingInAction

**A/N:**_ TANANANANANANANNN._

I have returned. On ALH, anyway. xD Been busy with 1.] 'For Life and For Honor' 2.] DeviantArt 3.] School so I haven't really been into this. Stretched the story too bad here... made one short scene to fit in this big thing. Oh well... Nyam. xD I'm drawing Killua-chan right now.

*gets killed for using -chan*

Original Word count: 2,978

**Disclaimer: **Yoshihiro Togashi owns HxH~~

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Missing. In. Action.  
**

**

* * *

(Third Person POV)**

She grabbed her bag, still bloody with Killua's hand-smears, tucking it underneath the thick coat she wore. She brushed roughly down her long hair, the little bits of blood that stuck in her fingers coming through.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Even though she tried her best to tidy up, she still look like she just came out of the bed, or just out of a jungle. She was pale, her clothes were still a little dusty and bloody with her earlier battle (she didn't manage to change), and her sunshine-yellow hair had spots of blood. The tears still was smudged on her face.

She heard a knocking on the door. "Akane?"

She stared hard and long at the door. Should she open it or not? She could feel her resolution breaking, sands slowly being blown by the wind. She felt the tears run down her cheeks again.

_How can I be so __**weak**__?_

"Akane, I'm coming in…"

"No, don't…" she whispered in a feeble voice as she tried to smother the impending sobs. "Please…don't…"

"Akane, are you crying? Akane, what's wrong…?"

"I… I…"

She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what was wrong. She didn't know who to blame, she didn't know if it was _her _to blame. She didn't know why it was going downhill. After she thought everything was running in her favor, in all her friends' favors. When she thought they were finally one step closer to their goals.

She took a pillow and she buried her face in it as she sat with her head between her knees. She let the tears flow. She sobbed.

_I am so weak._

"Akane…"

She didn't respond this time as she heard the door silently open. In stepped Kurapika, who was not surprised she was on the floor. It was the blood that was dripped down everywhere that surprised him.

"Kurapika…" she muttered, silently now. "I couldn't do anything… I _didn't _do anything… I'm so useless… I… I…"

"Akane…" Kurapika whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "It's not like there was any chance to do something, right?"

She looked up at him with her scarlet eyes. Kurapika's eyes widened; he wasn't used to seeing scarlet eyes facing him. Her eyes were bloodshot with her crying, but it was unrecognizable underneath the scarlet hue.

Tired of crying. Tired of being weak. That was why she was crying. For some reason, she felt like she hadn't done anything right. For the entire test, she felt like she's been dependent on her friends.

She was tired. Exhausted. She wanted to stand up on her own feet… she wanted to go rescue the first friend she had met.

And yet, here she is, not a step out of her door, courage already failing her. How can she do it, then? She's not an inch closer to her goal, she thought. Here she was. Still pinned to the ground. As useless as she was from the start.

"There was a chance, Kurapika," she said, her voice louder, rising to the sob that was suffocating her. He saw her pain. The tears that ran through her cheeks like waterfalls. He knew. "I just couldn't get to it. I am so damn _weak._"

Kurapika paused. What could he answer? How could he defend the _no _in that reasoning? "That's not true, Akane," he mumbled feebly, half-knowing it won't work on her.

"Then why isn't he here? Why am I here? Shouldn't we be all together here, celebrating our Hunter 'Graduation'? No. We won't be complete. Not without Killua." She stubbornly stood up, forcing herself on regaining her courage, and tugged at the ends of her jacket as she looked at herself in the mirror. She wiped the tears on her face, her eyes returning to their bright blue—that was starting to look indigo-like, to Kurapika—and she finally went out the door.

It took Kurapika 10 seconds—that long, yes—to recover. He finally blinked and dashed off in the direction of the front door, where he saw no trace of Akane.

_She did go ahead, _he thought. _There's no stopping her now._

He was about to turn back and tell Leorio when he heard the sigh. He spun around and saw her in a little corner.

"I thought you left," he said.

She sighed again. "I thought it was hopeless. You know, acting brave, but still being unable, still being so _damn _weak."

"No, don't worry, Akane. When Gon recovers, we can all go to Killua's home and we will—"

Kurapika thought he had said the wrong words when Akane's eyes widened. He was chewing on his lips. He wouldn't be able to stand one more crying session, not any longer. He wouldn't be able to take to see her crying again.

"Kukuru…" she murmured. "Why didn't I think of that…" Kurapika thought she was going to go in another round of, _I'm so DUMB! I'm so USELESS! I'm so WEAK! _but instead she just looked up at Kurapika. "That's where the Zaoldyecks are."

Kurapika didn't know that piece of information. How Akane knew it was out of his bounds, but still he raised an eyebrow. "Killua's name is Killua Zaoldyeck, remember?"

"…the elite assassin family…" Akane continued to mutter. "So that's why…" She hit herself lightly on the forehead. "How did I miss that?"

"What?" Kurapika asked._ What is going on in her mind?_

"Kukuru mountain is near my hometown… that's what… in the train, he… he was looking out…"

Even with that bare explanation, Kurapika still couldn't make sense of it. "Uhh…"

"When we were going to the docks of Whale Island, going to Dole, we passed by Kukuru mountain… so that's what…"

Kurapika was now _utterly _surprised and confused. "Wait, you took the ship?"

"Yeah we did," Akane said. "I saw you."

Kurapika blinked. "I didn't see _you._"

Akane grinned, a genuine one after so long of crying. "Ha."

"So what's your game plan?" Kurapika asked.

"We'd have to tell Gon at some point, right?" Akane said. She felt the strength coming back to her, warming her up, making her feel more human and able than she felt earlier. She felt like it was her alternate conscience, telling her now that _this _is the right way, how she has to do it. "Is Killua's brother still here?"

"Yes, he passed the exam and he'll take the Orientation."

"Illumi Zaoldyeck, yes," she murmured.

Kurapika had a bad feeling whenever she murmurs. It's as if she was thinking of something _devious. _Something _devilish _and out of this world.

_Not good._

"We'll wait for Gon," Akane said. "No one moves until the best friend says so."

"Gon's in some sort of coma, Akane," Kurapika said. "No one knows how long it will last."

"He'll wake up," Akane said. "That's the sure part."

The two stayed in Gon's room, watching over their friend as he slept soundly, almost like a baby, trying to recover the strength he had lost. Akane sat by his bedside, once in a while smoothing off Gon's hair.

The room was silent, other than the three's slow breathing, the soft flipping of the paper pages in Kurapika's book and nothing more. From outside, they could hear the voices of the other examinees-turned-Hunters. They heard Leorio, but he seemed to not have noticed their disappearance.

Everything remained like that, until there was a movement. Their eyes both trained to the figure who suddenly sat up. Gon had wide eyes, as if waking up from a bad dream. He had a terrified look on his face. He turned to look at Akane.

"Where am I?"

"You're in a resting room, Gon," Akane answered. Then, she took something out of her pocket. "But more importantly, Congratulations!" She tried to suppress her joy and proceeded to_ embrace _Gon instead of _glomp _him.

He looked at the Hunter's License that lay on his hand. He couldn't believe it. His win shouldn't have been counted in the first place. But still. He felt undeserving. "But Akane…"  
"No, no buts, no ifs, no whatever. You're a hunter, all three of us in this room are," Akane said, nodding.

This caught Gon's attention. He looked around the room, and found no evidence of his friend there. "Akane-nee-san, where's Killua?"

Akane was surprised, with the use of the honorific. No one uses that on her. Only Gon. She felt sad for the kid—for some reason she didn't want to tell him what happened with his best friend. "Killua, he…"

"He passed too, didn't he?" Gon's voice was hopeful, like always, but this time more strained, as if he was already doubtful of his words before he even said it.

_In this round, only one will not be able to pass._

"I'm sorry, Gon," Akane said in a solemn voice. "He was disqualified." She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Gon in a comforting way as he stared with confused, disappointed, and surprised eyes.

"Why… what…" Gon whispered. He couldn't put his thoughts into words.

"He made a mistake, Gon," Kurapika said, closing his book shut. "He killed someone."

Gon shook his head. "Killua wouldn't do that."

Akane let go of Gon and looked at Kurapika. He nodded, and she sighed. How Gon would handle this would be something that can't be foretold. But she had to do it—they have said it themselves, no one moves until the best friend says so. Gon would be the mind in this matter.

She stared at Gon with sad eyes, while he still stared back with his signature determined look. Until now, he still wore it. He never gave up.

"It was like this, Gon…"

"…he struck Bodoro right on the chest and was immediately disqualified," Akane finished the story she hated so much. Leorio had told them when hee came by a few hours ago, but he never came back for any follow up whatsoever.

Gon's eyes burned with anger, and he jumped out of his bed and dashed toward the left hallway.

Akane and Kurapika blinked with the sudden reaction, but they soon ran to catch him soon enough.

x~x

"Gon!" Leorio called, and seeing the extra two figures, added, "Akane! Kurapika!"

Akane shook her head, and pointed at Gon. Leorio turned his eyes and saw him approaching Gitarakuru… or Illumi.

Gon's eyes were filled with anger and despise. Akane thought if he was _Kuruta _too, his eyes would've been flaming red. "Apologize to Killua," he said, trying to make it sound like he wasn't hissing.

Illumi turned to Gon with an expressionless face. "And for what?"

"You don't even understand this? Clearly you don't," Gon spat with anger. "You don't have the qualifications to be an older brother."

Illumi turned back to the Chairman, who was sitting in front. "You need qualities for it?"

Gon was now enraged. He got Illumi's right wrist and threw him up the air angrily, but Illumi landed on the ground with his two feet. For half a second, his expression turned into pure shock. Hisoka smirked, from a distance. Gon pressed and squeezed Illumi's wrist harder, until there was a cracking sound.

"I'll go find Killua," Gon said in a strained voice. Straining to be calm. "I don't care if you apologize to him or not. Just tell me where he is, and I'll bring him back myself."

"You sound like you're accusing me of kidnapping him. In case you don't know, he went voluntarily."

Gon's grip on the wrist became tighter. "But that's not what he wanted to do. You manipulated him very badly, you can talk about kidnappping. Killua's not like that."

Netero broke in the argument. "That's exactly what we're talking about, Gon," he said. "The same thing was brought up by Leorio. Killua's disqualification and the injustice it represents are being examined now.

Leorio, who had briefly explained what was happening to the newly arrived Kurapika, nodded. "Yeah, Killua's attitude wasn't as of the norms. Not that he was really normal, but that's not the point. The thing is, there's a chance, no matter how small, that maybe he was under influence of whatever manipulation or hypnosis and acted under this hold."

Kurapika nodded in agreement. "Generally, even if we use a powerful hypnotism, it's impossible to ask someone to assassinate someone. But for Killua, killing is a daily act"—Akane flinched—"and moral limits don't work. His actions can be explained."

Leorio noded again. "The problem was during my fight. If you look closely, you could say Killua came to help me. That means, the disqualified one should be me, not him. His disqualification isn't justified."

Netero stroked his beard. "But those are only hypotheses. Nothing can prove that he _was_ asked to kill someone. Nor that he was hypnotised."

Akane, Leorio, and Kurapika sighed. _That's true._

"Concerning after what happened after the match between Bodoro and Leorio, I don't think there are any problems. The strength of each one was nearly the same, but counting the experience, Bodoro surely had the advantage. If we only count fighting skills, I believe Leorio was at the upper hand. I can only say the situation did not need any of Killua's help."

"Then there is something else not really natural," another candidate, named Pokkle, said. He turned to Kurapika. "About your attitude toward the match with Hisoka…

Akane didn't bother to hear the rest. She knew this was another bad hypotheses, a wrong critic toward her friends' victories. If it was to doubt her companion's ability or inability to win anyway, why bother? She closed her eyes. Trying to find a way, or make a plan, on how to find Killua.

_Where is Killua anyway?_

Her reverence was broken when Gon's strained voice went up again. "This doesn't matter right now. Qualification isn't something we have to talk about. The ones who are not okay with their success can go through training until they are. Concerning Killua, if he takes the exam again, it's obvious he'll pass and become a hunter. It's sad how he failed but he can't do anything about it now. If he had been under constraint until now, to kill people not by his own choice, I won't forgive you." The bone Gon was gripping had a cracking noise again.

"If you don't forgive me, so what?" Illumi said. "I won't do anything for you."

"I will take Killua back," Gon said, hissing now, angrily. "And I'll do what I can to make very well sure he'll never see his useless brother's face again."

He let go of Illumi's hand.

Akane felt the tension lessen, but it was still there, lingering in the air as Chairman Netero's assistant explained things about the hunter card.

After that, Gon went to Illumi. "Tell me where Killua is."  
"You better renounce."

"Y'think I'm that kind of guy? I won't give up on Killua! HE IS MY BEST FRIEND! I'LL DO WHATEVER I CAN, WHATEVER THE COST, TO FIND HIM!"

Illumi raised his eyebrows. Kurapika, Akane, and Leorio, who came up behind Gon, was addressed by Illumi. "You three have the same opinion?"

"It would be pretty dumb to ask…" _…bastard, _Akane finished in her mind. She wanted to cuss. She wanted to smack the guy straight on the face. She wanted to step on his face, scratch his eyeballs out. Pull his hair down to the very last strand. He was annoying her.

She used to have a special rule that if it annoys her, she would kill it, but that only used to apply to the bugs and ants back home. _Maybe my rule could apply here now, right?_

"Ahh, well. Even if I tell you, you'll never reach him. He must've gone back home," Illumi said.

"Kukuru mountain, correct?" Akane said, and Illumi nodded.

"Gone there before?" Illumi asked.

"It's the view from my house," she deadpanned, and Gon looked at her with surprised eyes.

_What the heck?_

Akane didn't do it out, but inside, she shook her head.

_Will we ever be able to get to Killua?_

As if.


	18. Unsure

**A/N: **AAAAAAHHH. ALH, I am back on you. Now that we're done with the essentially boring hunter exams, we are on to the fun arcs! First, the Zaoldyeck arc. I don't know what to call it so let's call it that! ^^

[I don't know what's happening with me.. I'm sucked in back to Killua addiction recently.]

This is just a filler chapter, some kinda. I just want to make sure there's a division between the last of the Hunter Exam part, and the begin of the ZAOLDYECK ARC! Yay. xD

**Original Word Count:** 2,791

**DISCLAIMER: **Again, the hiatus-master Yoshihiro Togashi owns HXH.

* * *

The four friends walked out of the room, Gon leading them up front with still a hard face. No one could tell if it was pain and sorrow or determination that was shining his eyes, but it was a deep emotion. Too deep, Akane thought, that it was too hurtful to see in a young child's face, especially Gon's, since he had a very optimistic and bubbly personality.

She sighed. Even though she didn't want to face it, she had to. "You're serious, aren't you Gon?"

Gon turned around, Akane a bit relieved to see that the angry expression was gone from his childlike visage. He did not answer with words and barely nodded.

Leorio tapped his chin with a finger, thinking. "Kukuru mountain, isn't it? Haven't heard of it," Leorio said. "But Akane, you said…"

"I live pretty near it," she answered with a nonchalant nod. "As I've told that creepy Gitarakuru guy, it is the view from my backyard."

"Where is it, anyway?" Leorio asked. He wasn't that knowing to those kind of geographical materials and knowledge. He didn't bother to study them.

"It's around the mountain border of Padokia. My family lives at the end of the Rimowa town—that was nicknamed Rome, for I don't know what reason, but it's more famous as that name—but not exactly at the outskirts… the mountain border and forest is basically our backyard experience every day," Akane said. "Dentora province, where Kukuru mountain is really counted in, is just a walk away from my house. There's not much of a border, you see, just a small arch saying, 'Welcome to Dentora.' Padokia, really weird yet cool place." She missed her home, and loved patronizing it.

"Padokia?" Kurapika asked. "That's three days on airship from here."

"Yeah," Akane nodded. "Shall we get started?"

"Wait!" Gon said, and the three turned to see him already running off to one of the examiners, Satotsu. He had a card in his hand. Akane recognized it as a Hunter License… or at least, something that looked like it. But it wasn't.

_What kind of and whose license is that?

* * *

_

"Satotsu-san!" Gon called.

Satotsu turned around. "Gon?"

"Can I ask you what this is, Satotsu-san?" Gon asked. "Someone I know let it fall… I thought it was a Hunter License, but apparently it isn't…"

Satotsu took the card that was in Gon's hand. His eyes widened. "Aah, a certificate of a Double-Star Hunter." He flipped the card over and gasped. "Gon.. you said me this belonged to someone you know…"

Gon nodded. "Yes, it belonged to someone named Kaito, but…"

Shaking his head, Satotsu said, "No, Gon. This card belongs to a hunter named 'Ging'.'"

This time, it was Gon's turn to gasp. _Father… _"C-can you tell me more about this Ging… Satotsu-san?"

He nodded. "Of course. He was well known in his work; he excavated ruins and did his best to preserve them, using his own fortune for the preservation of it, to the very littlest detail. He was known not only in the quality of his work, but also in the way. Now, his works are used as models for the next generation." A solemn smile spread across his face. "He was my hero, when I do my own job. I wanted at first to do it for the Honors, but when I saw his work, it was shame that I felt. I have never met him, but I still dream on doing so."

Gon almost grinned at the irony. _I haven't met him too, Satotsu-san.. and yet he's my father._

"…do you know the electronic pages? You might be able to learn more about him there," Satotsu added, realizing Gon would have a better reach on the information he wouldn't be able to provide since he already had the Hunter License.

Gon nodded. "Thank you, Satotsu-san!" He said, and ran back to his three waiting friends.

* * *

After a few minutes, Kurapika finally sighed, letting his hands drop to the sides. "Finally. I thought it would take forever. I got us the tickets. One airship to the Padokia region, by the Dentora province."

Akane nodded happily, and smiled cheerily. Both names were very familiar to her—the point of going home was already exciting her. What's more, she has her friends. "That's for tomorrow morning, right?"

Kurapika nodded. "Tomorrow at seven in the morning."

"Where are we going to stay?" Leorio asked. "…I mean, you don't want to rush to the Zaoldyeck house while having jet-lag, right?"

Akane laughed. _Typical Leorio. _"You can stay at my place."

"Are you sure, Akane? I don't think so…" Leorio muttered.

"My room is enough for ten people! Plus, we have a comfy attic if you don't want to be seen around much," Akane said with a laugh. She was now _truly_ excited, and Gon and Kurapika could see it pretty easily. Then she stopped. "What about tonight?"

Now it was Kurapika's time to smile. "Apparently, you're going to have to renounce the party temptations."

Akane pouted like a five-year-old. "You have gotta be kidding me! I haven't been to a party in YEARS!"

"Killua, or Party?" Kurapika asked playfully, waiting for a clever response from Akane.

She grinned. "Party now, Killua later! That's tomorrow anyway."

"You're going to be too drunk," Leorio said, but she shook her head. "Not me! I have strong tolerance to beer to…uhh… MOST alcoholic drinks! TRUST ME!"

Leorio laughed at the girl's persistence. "Yeah right!"

She, instead, just gave them the thumbs-up sign. "Yup. And the one who doesn't attend later will not be able to ride the airship, not one step!"

_And what gave you the right to do so, goldie? _She heard in her head, and bit her lip momentarily remembering that only Killua called her by that nickname, and only when no one was around. It was like their special call to each other—even though he had Gon, he still remained calling Akane names. This, of course, Akane knew, was Killua's sign of affection.

"A-and in case you're thinking what gave me the right, have you realized it was my License used to contact the airship?" She answered the thought in her head. She got the Hunter License that was sitting near the computer. "So everybody's going to the party!" Her grin became even wider. "It's official! Let's all hang loose and have fun!"

* * *

That night, all four of them went to the Hunter's last party. They were celebrating, all the new Hunters and the examiners. They gathered in one lavishly decorated room, eating and drinking to their heart's content.

Once in a while Kurapika would look at Akane worriedly, half-knowing there would be one point that night were she would just lose consciousness. He hoped it would be sooner, and not later deep in the night, because the sooner she falls asleep, the easier will she be to wake up. And the hangover would be less painful.

But she never, not once, toppled. She drank the punch and she enjoyed her time, enjoying the foods and the salads, talking to the other 'friends' she will soon be parted with. She even talked with Netero, and they were laughing. Kurapika shook his head. _You're being overprotective again. She's just acting like herself… she is tolerant with alcoholic drinks._

Hanzo approached her minutes later when she finally sat down, enjoying the view. "Hey, have some," he offered, and handed her a glass. It had an orange-ish colored liquid inside, and Akane thought it might be something like Margarita. So she took it with a smile.

"Hanzo, what are you going to do after this?" She asked, fingering her glass.

"I'm a professional ninja back in my hometown," he said proudly, before extending his hand which had his own glass. "Bottoms up?"

She grinned. "Bottoms up!"

Their glasses clinked together before she drained the glass into her mouth. Her eyes widened with the sudden streak of pain. She fell off her chair, earning Kurapika's attention. She felt her throat close, and her question was forced out of her mouth as the wind was deprived of her. "What…is this?"

"Cranberry juice and vodka," Hanzo said, kneeling before her as he tried to pull her up. Kurapika was now standing beside him.

"What happened?" He asked, seeing Akane limp and unconscious on the ground. "What did you do?"

Hanzo shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know! We were just drinking some cocktail, man! And she had the ultimate off-the-roof tolerance for them! What is it now?"

"She must've been allergic to it!" Kurapika said as he took Akane in his arms, determined to bring her to her room quick. If he was right, she would be having an allergy, and since she's breathing hard, it must've caused her asthma to turn into effect. He would have to find her inhaler or something for allergy.

_How many things is this girl allergic to?_

He finally managed to put her back on her bed, and searched her bag for something. There was a tiny bottle with words he wasn't so familiar of. Maybe Leorio was familiar with them, but he couldn't be sure. And besides, there wasn't enough time.

He took a pill and put it in Akane's mouth, forcing her to swallow it with the water he poured in. She started to cough in no time, and later, she squinted her eyes open, and she blinked in confusion.

"Was that Cranberry?" she asked, and Kurapika nodded. "I should've known. I'm sorry."

Kurapika rolled his eyes. "What are the things you're allergic to? So that we know what not to feed you."

Akane looked down. She didn't want to be an extra weight to the gang again, because of her allergies. She thought maybe if Killua was here, he could make up a joke like, 'So that we know what to feed you, kukuku~' or something. In her mind, she could see his catty face, his playful glance. Truly, she thought, she had really applied him in herself as a younger brother. She shook her head, telling herself to stop thinking of the what-ifs. Kurapika looked at her amusedly.

"Just cranberries," she answered in a weak tone.

Kurapika nodded. "Do you still want to go back?" He offered, but she shook her head.

"I think I need a rest… I've been drinking too much, too," she grinned. "Tomorrow at seven?" She yawned. "Good-night, aniki~" she told Kurapika as a joke.

Kurapika smiled and bent down to leave a kiss on her forehead. "Good night. Sweet dreams."

* * *

_**Tch. You're so weak.**_

_No I'm not! You don't know!_

_**Look at you! Almost falling off dead because of some Cranberry what-not.**_

_It's not my fault!_

_**You should be able to stand through that kind of torture, or you're not strong enough.**_

…_Strong enough for what?_

_**You should give it up, Goldie. It's no use.**_

_No, we will bring you back. If it's for Gon, we'll do it._

…_**I don't want you guys to die yet. Especially Gon.**_

_We won't die! We'll all come down from Kukuru alive._

_**You're not strong enough.**_

_Now you don't say one more word, Kil. I will prove you wrong. We will save you, and we'll show you! We are strong enough.

* * *

_

Akane woke up that morning not the least dizzy. She folded the sheets and went over to her bag to shuffle for a set of clean clothes. Before she entered the shower, however, she took a glance outside to the sun that was barely rising, to the mountains that barricaded it. She somehow saw the hope that came out of the yellow rays.

_We will find Killua, no matter what._

She felt her body being rejuvenated by the water droplets that sprinkled out of the shower. She smiled, remembering how when she was a child, her father taught her to see every little rainbow out of every little droplet. He taught her how to be content with the small things that she could easily have.

But this time, she knew that with Killua out there, being hurt, she knew, she couldn't just be content with the small things. She would have to fight for it, this time.

Facing the full-length mirror, she was running her brush roughly down her hair when she heard three rapid knockings on her door. "Akane, we're about to leave. Are you ready?"

She recognized the voice as Kurapika's. "Almost! Can you wait for me outside?" She called through the door.

"Sure! We'll go ahead and tell the Chairman!" he said. She heard him trod lightly on the carpeted floor outside.

She put down her brush and put it in her bag. She stared at her reflected in the mirror. She was wearing a blue, long-sleeved polo. The sleeves reached up to her elbow. She had white pants on, and her gray rubber shoes that looked like boots.

…_your bangs. They're going to get in your way._

She thought it was funny how she was hallucinating, these past few hours. She could hear Killua's voice, telling her what to do. Even more, taunted her.

She clipped her bangs to the left side of her face. She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and put another clip midway back. She wore it just the same way as she did before the first exam started.

She smiled. She knew this felt like déjà vu. Doing the exact same thing.

"Better?" she asked in thin air.

She didn't bother to wait for the response of the Killua in her head. She knew what he would say, anyway. He would say, 'I guess,' in a plain monotone voice.

She didn't want memories, she wanted the present. She wanted to see him and ruffle his hair again. She wanted to hear him laugh and to see his catty face again. For some reason, she also wanted to add, She wanted her little brother back.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out the door. She walked across the silent corridor, and outside the front gate she saw her three friends Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio.

She knew that another chapter of her life has been written, and another one is bound to begin.

At least she was sure that this new adventure would still be with them.

Not only them, she thought, but also the Zaoldyecks.

She felt the cold fear run down her spine. Her father had warned her of the Zaoldyecks, and yet here she is, about to face the worst fear of anybody in the world.

But Killua is a Zaoldyeck too, isn't it? She thought. He wasn't as scary as her father had told her, but he still had that creepy factor in his aura.

"C'mon!" She told them, running out the path faster before them. Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon came dashing after her. She laughed. For once, she felt so free. But she knew there was one of them that didn't feel as free… not anymore, anyway.

_Don't worry, Killua_, she thought in her mind with a confident grin. _We will save you from them.

* * *

_

**A/N: **I was watching the episodes concerning the next few scenes of the Zaoldyeck arc when I found this very peculiar scene... I was laughing my guts out, imagining Akane's reaction to the would-be monster dog Mike [pronounced Mi-kay]! xD This is some kind of spoiler, but it's two sentences. But it's a nice joke, though. I think.  
I think it's the freaking out part that's the best... not the words she said. [It's the expression I'm imagining in my head that's making me laugh.]

_*pointing at Mike* "That is a hound that has undergone strict training."  
*jaws slack, freaking out* "YOU CALL THAT A HOUND? I CALL THAT A DEVIL!"_


	19. Revealed

**A/N: **Now this is what happens during a spur-of-the-moment, writing spree attack. That's the only sickness I appreciate. Lalalala~

As I bore myself with my doodles for the Christmas poster I have sworn myself I'll do and the Birthday poster I dared myself to do, I ended up doing this...

You'll realize why the chapter was title, "Revealed" as you move toward the end... More dreary than usual, I guess. This is, after all, the Killua arc...

**OWC: **2,492

**Disclaimer: **Togashi-sensei owns HxH!

* * *

"Mama would be happy to know I made friends in the hunter exams," Akane said as the tour bus stopped exactly where they were supposed to go down. Leading the way, all four of them stood by the sidewalk. "There's just a little walk more, and we'll be home. It's getting dark anyway, one more night won't hurt, I guess."

It took them a few days to get the city. Akane smiled widely at the familiar scenes; the flower shop by the corner, the boys playing basketball at the village court, the few men gambling by the side of their roads, smoothing the feathers of their roosters as they prepared for the cockfight match later at six. She smiled, happy since she knew every nook and cranny of the little peaceful village, having explored all tiny corners since she was a kid. Her mind was wandering, and since she was a very happy and bouncy girl with her mouth connected to her brain, she pointed at each of the funny things she loved to look at, since it reminded her of home.

Later, they stood in front of a porch of a humble yet very regal house. It was two stories high, with a balcony at the second floor, a nice flower garden, and a good view of the forest on the other side. The walls were painted light-blue, some more faded than the others creating an effect.

"No one tells about our plan to go to the Zaoldyecks. No one tell about rescuing Killua, because we are only merely visiting him. …because I want to save him too, and I won't let you go alone," Akane told them, staring at them with determined eyes that rivaled Gon. "All plans about Kukuru mountain will not leave your mouths."

All three boys nodded, and Akane went in the front porch, them following at her tail. She knocked at the door. "Papa? Mama? I'm home. This is Akane… I'm coming in!"

She pushed the door and called over her three friends. Her mother was already standing up, a few feet away from the door. She rushed over to Akane to give her a hug. "Akane, I'm glad you're home. How was the Hunter exam?" Noticing the extra presence, she stole a look to the three guys awkwardly standing behind Akane. They were staring at their feet. "And I suppose these are your friends?"

Akane nodded, and pointing at them, she said, "Ma, this is Leorio-san, Kurapika, and Gon. We're all Hunters from this year." The grin on her face was big, reaching her ears.

"Well, I bet our new hunters might be famished from their journey. Come on," her mother said. When she finally got to close the door, she smiled. "I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Illyasviel Dukarra… but I guess Illya would do."

Gon nodded. "_Arigatou gozaimashita_, Illya-san," he said with a smile as they were led by Akane to her room to put their baggage down.

* * *

For one, Akane's room was gigantic.

It was probably 10 square meters, box-shaped. There was a ceiling-to-floor window on the two ends of the room, and at the middle was a sliding door, apparently to the balcony facing the forest. The bed was on the top-right part of the room, and on the other side was a little wardrobe. Beside that oak wardrobe was a few stacks of boxes-turned-shelves, marked appropriately with a pen, and that was actually it. The only other things that were in there was the carpet and the curtains… but that really didn't count.

Gon put his bag and his fishing pole at a corner. "We're going to sleep here, Akane?" he asked in an innocent tone.

"Yeah. I'll ask mom for those mattresses she kept on stock… you can use that. …but Gon, you can take the bed. I don't mind," she suggested.

Gon shook his head. "No, I'm fine with the floor…I mean mattress. But you have a nice view!" He said and looked out the window.

Indeed, it had been beautiful. It was a nice forest, lush and green, and at the middle there was a small plain where once in a while, their neighbor would bring out his cattle and make them graze there. Lean far enough you would be able to catch the waterfall that was at the far end of one of the mountains, and if you catch that moment before sunrise, it would show a very marvelous rainbow.

Akane took out a towel from her wardrobe and said, "I'll go take a shower… Dinner will be ready at six o'clock sharp, and don't disappoint Mama, okay?" she said, and closed the door behind her, leaving the boys with confused looks on their faces.

* * *

"Akane! Leorio! Gon! Kurapika! Dinner is ready!" Her mother called from below, and immediately they went down. They've changed to some homey-feeling shirts and shorts, and Akane changed to a thin blouse and shirt.

All six of them, including Akane's parents, gathered around the table. "_Itadakimasu!_" they said in chorus, and one-by-one, they took food from the serving platter.

"So how was the Hunter Exams, 'Kane?" Akane's father asked her before putting in his mouth a piece of raw egg. "I heard you have become an official Hunter."

Akane nodded. "I have, Papa. It was hard, but since I'm still alive, I guess it was tolerable," she said.

_Oh, you don't know, _the voice in her head snickered, but she decided to ignore it.

"Good for you," he said with a smile before pushing his glasses back into place. "And these are your friends, correct?"

Akane nodded again. Her father was such a stuck-up when it came to boys—basically, he never wanted _one _boy to lay a hand on Akane. Thus, she grew up in an all-girl world; but she never was contented. She hated being alone, that was another reason why she went to the Hunter Exams. "Pa, These are Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika," she said.

Something in her heart told her that her mother was suspecting something about one of her friends. Maybe Leorio, because it was obvious that he was the oldest in the group and there was something in his personality. Maybe Kurapika, since they have stunningly the same facial characteristics, especially the hair color. Gon… don't even ask. There's nothing you can suspect of Gon other than he's a very happy character.

"And you have your License, I suppose?" her father asked with a stern voice. He obviously did not trust the youngsters, and there seemed to be a mischievously distrustful aura around them. There was something he couldn't put his finger on.

Akane nodded and handed her License to her father. She had actually been waiting for this, almost nervously even. When she had told her parents she would go to the Hunter Exams, it was her father who argued at her to no end, but when she said nothing could change her mind, he gave up. Right now she knew he was searching for a hole he could use to tell on Akane about stuff on the what-ifs. "Only 7 of around 400 got to pass," Akane stated as her father flipped the card around, looking at it. Still with a distrustful glance.

"Do you expect you'll find your goal with this?" he asked slowly, waving the card that was between her fingers. But she didn't answer, her head hanging low. Illyasviel looked at her daughter with a worried glance. "Katarina. Answer me."

Gon cocked his head to the side. _Katarina? _He didn't expect Akane to be called like this. For all he knew, Akane's name was, well, Akane.

"I think, Pa, that it is the friends I have found while gaining this that will help me reach my goal," Akane answered calmly. "I believe that that thin piece of paper will get me some helpful privileges but without the people that will help me, I will not be able to reach what I wish to reach."

Akane's father smiled gently. Obviously he just wanted to prod his daughter, to see if she had learned something from her long absence. "Brilliant. I believe you've done well, Akane."

"Thank you, Pa," Akane said, looking back up. "You're still the best."

* * *

"Akane?"

Akane rolled from her comfortable position in her bed, turning to face Gon in her wrapped-up-in-my-blanket position. "Yeah?"

"Why did your father call you Katarina?" he asked, voice kept low as the other two were already sleeping, resting in dreamland. "I thought your name was Akane."

"My name is Katarina de Marquez Dukarra, Gon," Akane said. "I just prefer to be called Akane. It means red, in Japanese." She breathed, knowing that Gon will not quit with just that. "My mother's name is Illyasviel de Marquez. My father's name is Andropov Dukarra. And I am named after his mother." Still knowing that that wasn't enough for Gon—as he remained silent—she continued, "I read the name Akane from one of Papa's books. I just thought it was cute."

"Why not Rina?" Gon asked. "It's cute, too," he added.

"I just haven't thought. But isn't it cool? Akane Dukarra. It's like, a different and completely unique name. They're names from Japanese and… I forgot," she said. "Nmm… Gon, I want to sleep. We _need_ to sleep… we have a lot to do tomorrow…"

_Tomorrow… _she thought. _Tomorrow's going to be one hell of a day, _she thought, and she knew it would be true.

"One more thing, Akane-nee-san," Gon said, making sure to add the 'nee-san' so that she wouldn't be able to resist. Akane blinked sleepily and turned to what Gon was pointing at. "Who's the extra person in the picture?"

He was pointing at the photo hanging on her wall, the fullest family picture she could get. It was made from a digital store, since she wasn't there when the picture was taken. She stared at the four images staring back at her. Her mother, her father, herself, and the one family member she never got to meet in person.

Her older brother.

* * *

_The wind howled loud and scary outside, and it beat angrily against the fiberglass windows of the doctors' house-turned-clinic. Winter had started early this year, and everyone had a hard time coping with the sudden blizzard and hailstorms, especially the children. Winter, which usually starts late November to Early December, had started ten days ago with frightening speed._

_It was November 19._

_The couple sat on a warm couch, enveloped in a cozy, fluffy, thick blanket in front of a warm fireplace, holding each other to become warm. The heaters did not work well, and the fixer couldn't come at this raging weather, so for the meanwhile they had to rely on other means to keep warm._

_Suddenly, the woman's eyes jerked up and fixated to the closed wooden door. "Andre, someone's knocking," she said in a jittery tone._

_"Please, it's just the snow and hail, Illya," the man said, yawning, and curled up deeper under the blanket. _

_"No, I believe there really is someone..." she insisted, and gingerly took the blanket and wrapped it around her frail, tiny frame. She put her feet into the soft pink rabbit slippers and tossed her messy black hair backward. She fumbled for a clip and blinked her deep brown eyes. She headed to the door._

_Her mouth hung agape at what she found standing outside her doorstep. She sheepishly let the couple she found in. Two sunshine haired people entered the house in bloody shirts, a baby wrapped and embraced protectively in her mother arms. Andropov—or yes, more probably called as Andre—was taken off guard and he jumped off the sofa, rushing to button up his polo as he neared the visitors._

_"What happened?" Illya asked in utter shock, staring at the baby with beautiful blonde hair the same color as the mother, and radiant blue eyes._

_Instead of answering, the woman handed the baby to her. "Please... she needs warmth, she's cold."_

_Illya's mother instincts from eleven years back made her grasp the shivering baby tenderly, and quickly she tried to find the baby rocker. She left Andre to do the first talks as she tried to rub the baby's skin to encourage warmth from friction. The baby seemed to be at peace, head cocked to the side, tongue lolling out. Illya laughed light-heartedly._

_After she arranged the baby in the rocker under a blanket by the fireplace, secured, she went over to Andre and told him to tell her everything._

_"Well, she fell into labor two hours ago. No clinic let them in; people are like that nowadays, dearest. So they stumbled around to search for one willing to... she just wanted to save her baby," Andre said. "They wouldn't tell me the rest, they said it was personal and only for them."_

_She just wanted to save her baby. The words pulled a string in Illya's heart. How she knew how it was to be unable to do anything for their child... something she learned the hard way six years ago. She knew she could've done something for her child, but she was just unable to, because she was so stupid. At least, that's what she told herself._

_And she never really got the hang of it, and she never got over it._

_"I understand," she finally said. "You can stay here for free until needed," she added. _

_"Thank you," the mother said solemnly. "May the gods bless you."_

_Illya nodded. "Andre... bring them to his old bedroom."_

_Andre heard her flinching through her voice, knowing how painful that delicate situation was for her, but nonetheless he brought them there._

_A silent tear slid down her cheek in sorrow as she shot a glance at the photo frame lying dusty at the corner of the fireplace. Illya, Andre, and their little boy._

_She threw the picture into the flames, watching as the boy's face burnt first._

_Andre watched from the corridor, watching, mourning.

* * *

_

"Akane?... Akane!"

Akane blinked. "Oh… sorry. I was… I was just thinking of Killua." _Honestly, I'm worried sick._

"Killua's going to be okay. He's Killua, after all," Gon said with a proud smile. "Ne, Akane, do you know how to get to… you know…" he leaned closer and whispered, "…Kukuru?"

"On the other side of the road there's a bus station… for the curious tourists, it's called the Terror bus. It goes straight up to Kuku—"

A voice stopped Akane from her explanation, and it was angry and demanding explanation.

"What are you planning to do with the Zaoldyecks?"

* * *

**A/N: **Here's a trivial trivia... Katarina "Akane" Dukarra and I share the same birthday! =3 I just thought it would be cute, laa~

What do you think of the 'Katarina' and the non-Japanese related names? You will understand how very much related and important those kind of names are to the story in the weeeee future. Because with those names, I have bridged the gap to that weird idea I have gotten oh-so-long ago... you want clues? Clues? You want them? They're scattered all in the chapter. xD

Sorry for making Akane's father so mean... just that, hey, if she is something like the perfect me in anime/HxH world, why should she get a better father? We should be equals.

I'm working on the main parts of the Killua arc, I sweaaaar... I just had to type this filler part, yes... sorry... xD


	20. Different Worlds

**A/N: **Hooray! I finally got with writing the real events, nyaha~ The chapter really is about Akane's stubbornness, and Gon's... idk, stubbornness as well, I guess.  
Speaking of stubbornness, school is acting bad on me and I have High School Entrance Examinations next month and people are forcing me to study and just study, so I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate. I promise, though, that I _will _update. Somehow.  
Thinking of the title, I can hear Hannah Montana's "Best of Both Worlds" playing in my head... GET IT OFF MAH HEAD!

**OWC: **3,102 words! The longest chapter I've ever written! *or so I believe*

**DISCLAIMER: **Yoshihiro Togashi owns HxH; some dialogues from this are taken straight from the manga.

* * *

"You owe me some explanations, young lady," the demanding voice came as Akane choked on her cereal. It was seven in the morning, and she wasn't expecting this.

_This is what you call, bad timing._

Akane decided to take this in a stride. She will only take the worst measures when there's nothing left to defend herself and her righteous action with; push comes to shove, worse to worse. She would have to be gentle first, knowing it was a very delicate topic to her father… especially knowing how the Zaoldyecks were actually tied to his life, she would understand the pain.

Besides, if there was one thing she'd rather avoid do, that would be freak out and let her parents make the rash decision that would affect all of their plans since the start. "Pa, we have a friend named Killua. He lives in Kukuru," she said, slowly explaining so that her father absorbs it all. She heard him murmur something like, _yeah, and he's a hobo living in the forest there, _but she ignored it. "He came to the Hunter Exams with us, and unfortunately at the end he got disqualified." She breathed, seeing her father was tapping his desk angrily, waiting for her to continue. He hasn't burst out yet, and she took it as a good sign. "…I'm sorry, Pa, but I have to do this."

Andropov's eyebrows were knitted tightly together as he narrowed his eyes. "_Who _is this Killua you are saying?"

"He was my first friend from the Hunter exam," Akane stated calmly. "And he is like my little brother. I will save him from his family that has just robbed him of his freedom."

Ignoring the arguments of his daughter, Andre repeated, "_Who _is this Killua?"

"The youngest son of theirs. His name is Killua Zaoldyeck."

From behind the sink, Gon heard the slight crashing of a plate as Akane's father shouted, "KATARINA!" He pushed Akane down the hallway, determined to bring her to her room, to prepare to ground her again.

"Andre-san," Gon said, making Andropov stop. "I think you should give your daughter a chance to explain."

Andropov glared at Gon. "I have warned her not to mess with those assassins! They are ruthless, heartless people who do not have a single bit of conscience left for the people they kill!"

Gon just glared back, and Andropov flinched. Such emotional eyes shouldn't be seen on kids' faces. For all he knew, it was _burning _with heavy emotions. It was painful for him to see it there, plastered on such an innocent child's face. What's more, he felt like it was his own fault. "If there is one thing—yes, just one thing—that Akane would be able to teach you, that would be not to judge a book by its cover. Sure, Killua may be from a line of assassins. Sure, Killua may have grown up in a terrible environment. Sure, Killua may have been killing since he was born, but he is still human. And from him, all of us found a friend we could trust our lives in, and we have proven that in the Hunter Exam!" Gon's eyes welled. "I, no, WE will make sure that he will not return back to the monster he may have been before! Killua will become _Killua, _not _ZAOLDYECK! _He will just be a fun-loving 12-year-old who loves chocolate, and knows how to fight for his friends, with his own strength."

Akane, who was well into fighting back her tears, couldn't hold it any longer. The pain that was aching in her heart was worse than the pain of her father pulling her hair. "You don't know, Pa. You don't know how it feels to lose a friend. Because you've never had one! You don't know how it feels! I have a life! AND DON'T STOP ME!" She pulled her father's fingers out of her blonde hair, and she pushed him to the wall hard enough that he was disoriented for a while. She immediately picked up the bag that was sitting on her chair, ready to go. The three caught the signal and knew they were going to leave now. It would be the best thing to do.

"KATARINA! COME BACK HERE YOUNG LADY!" Andropov shouted, but the door was just slammed in his face. Illyasviel, who was now standing at his side, felt a tear ran down her cheek. Whether it was of happiness or sadness, it was beyond her.

"Akane's changed, don't you think?"

* * *

"This is the TERROR BUS company, the only bus company that brings you a straight tour route to the Kukuru mountain where the famed Zaoldyeck assassins live!" The tour guide shouted from the side of the bus door. Gon poked her shoulder with a fishpole. "Sorry, minors aren't allowed unless there's parental admissio—"

Akane, who was trying to calm down with her hands shoved deep into her pockets, took out her Hunter License and waved it in front of the tour guide's face. "We're _professional _Hunters, and I believe by the State of Law us _minors _are allowed on this bus, am I correct?" she said with an irritated huff and came in the bus. The bus driver nodded and they found the last four seats and the back end. They sat down, though not comfortably.

The irritated, agitated aura still came out pretty obviously out of Akane. For some reason, she had that urge to blast someone's head out. That would be the first person who irritates her in the Zaoldyeck mansion. She hoped there would be worthy opponents.

She stopped her thought. She couldn't even beat Killua! Why bother thinking she'll be able to beat the other Zaoldyecks. She shook her head, making sure to erase the last sentence from her previous thought.

She hoped there would be _no _opponents.

"Kukuru's a half-hour drive at this tour-bus pace. We'll be able to make a game plan by then… hopefully," Akane said with a sigh as she settled for a seat by the window. Kurapika took a seat beside her and patted her head.

"You might as well cool down too, Akane," he said. "Buzzing around angrily will not help at all."  
Akane sighed, and with that sigh came all the other frustration. She knew he was right. "So what do you plan on doing when we reach Kukuru, Gon?" Akane asked instead.

"Get the closest route to Killua," Gon said. "I know there will be a lot of barricades or watchers or obstacles, but I will still take the straightest path to Killua."

"This is the Zaoldyecks we're talking about…" Akane murmured, but Gon shook his head.

"Killua is a Zaoldyeck too. But unlike his family, he has a heart."

* * *

Akane sighed, realizing the wrongness in their decision to take the tour bus. The tour bus was as slow as a turtle, and even took on a stop as the guide explained all the boring sights. Five minutes, Ten, Akane didn't even bother to check. She was leaning out the window, seeing Kukuru grow bigger and bigger in size as they neared it…

Soon they were all up the Kukuru Mountain. It was a snaky path going up, and it almost made her sick, but here she was, fine and okay. Each of them jumped off the bus, not really expecting what they'd see. They found a gigantic gate—Akane didn't bother to estimate the size, only that it was huge—that seemed to be reaching to the stars.

The tour guide—Coco-chan, as Gon called her—told us that the gate was called "The Gate to the other World." Akane shivered—_definitely not the least homey. _"No one who comes in can get out alive," Coco said with an eerie voice, and Akane almost jumped out of her skin seeing the gargoyles standing at the top of the gate.

Well, she wasn't expecting Gon to be _that_ straightforward. After Coco's detailed explanation of the eerie-ness that might lay inside, he asked, "Coco-chan, how do you get inside?"

Coco remained smiling, but it was pretty obvious she was forcing it. "Did you hear what I just said, kid? You can't go out once you go in. This is a killer's lair, not some playground!

Gon frowned. He didn't like the answer, apparently. What's worse than anything is Gon playing innocent, because after that, there's nothing you'll be able to do."Yes, but…"

"If you get inside, you won't come out again alive!" The guide said through a forced smile, "This is a killer's lair, you know?"

"But it's not true, isn't it?" a bulky man came to Coco. "A family of phantom assassins with 100% success rate… keh, it must be a bluff," he said.

"They say you can auction a picture of them to up to a billion zennis," the thinner one said with a sneer. "They must be fake, right? Since no one's ever seen them, nor how powerful they are," he added.

_No one ever seen them? Gimme a break, _Akane snorted.

"Wait!" Kurapika called, and they stopped. "What do you plan on doing?"

The bulky man showed him a piece of red thing—which they recognized easily as dynamite. Leorio and Kurapika gasped, Gon narrowed his eyes, but Akane kept a calm look.

_Time to test your family's power, Kil, _Akane thought with a smirk.

Coco immediately started to plead for them to stop, but they didn't. They lit the bomb and tossed it to the gate. Instinctively, Leorio pulled Kurapika and Akane away from the gate, and Gon ran alongside them. They were far enough when the dynamite exploded.

KABLOOOIIIEEE!

Akane blinked as she turned around. The dust was still settling and it was getting straight into her eyes.  
They immediately went to the gatekeeper and beat him up—the poor man. He was probably 30-40, middle aged. The gatekeeper fought back, saying he shouldn't and wouldn't since he would get fired.

In the end, the key just dropped off from his pocket. Akane grunted; _what the hell?_

The two came up to the smaller side gate, opening it with the key. The door opened easier than the bigger one—Akane was guessing the big one was probably 20 tons total in weight, and very strong—and they got immediately in the grounds. The smaller one grunted, "Tch, _Zaoldyecks _my ass!"

The door closed, and Gon rushed toward the gatekeeper. "Are you okay, Keeper-san?"

Mr. Gatekeeper nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." He shook his head, contradictory to what he said, and Akane raised a curious eyebrow. "Tsk… if Mike gets fat, I'm going to be scolded…"

_Mike? _Akane wondered. _Who the hell is Mike? And what does that have to do with anything?_

Little did she know that her question was just about to be answered… by Mike himself.

A loud but gently beastly groan was heard from the other side as Mike put out the bones of the two men. It was partly gnawed on—every bit of bone was scraped clean, all innards cleaned away. Akane was about to regurgitate. The sight was unbearable, to her, anyway.

_Now I get it why people despise and fear the Zaoldyecks, _she thought to himself. _What the hell is wrong with these—_

The other tourists started screaming like the world was crashing down, headed straight to the bus. Her train-of-thought was paused, and she squinted her eyes, covering her ears to prevent hearing the unbearably too loud noise.

Coco was forced to immediately bring the bus to move. "Sirs, Miss? We are leaving now," he called to Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Akane.

Gon smiled at her. "Arigato, Coco-chan… but we're staying _here…" _Gon's voice stressed the word 'here,' but he didn't seem to have noticed. Coco gave him a weird, 'What the hell?' look before finally shrugging the matter off altogether and proceeded to leading the rest of the passengers into the bus.

* * *

"You are Killua-kun's friends, you say?" the gatekeeper—named Zebulo—asked as they were all in his little room. "It's heartwarming, how after working 20 years in this place, people actually come here introducing themselves that way… it's very rare—no, it hasn't happened before. _Friend, _it even tastes wrong in the mouth." He sighed. "As a mere employee, I may be damned by this, but this is such a sad residence. Many people who plan to destroy the Family come once in a while, and it's explainable. It's how things are planned." He looked up at the four of them. "However, Killua's friends may you be, I can't let you enter."

"Why?" Akane insisted. She did not fight her parents and gone all the way here just to be greeted by _that._

"You saw it, didn't you? That beast's paw. He's Mike—the guard dog of the Family. He follows no orders other than the Family's; basically, it's uncontrollable. It has lawfully followed, word-per-word, the orders the Master has given to it 10 years ago…to control the intruders, if you get what I mean. More than loyal, it is very greedy. So, anyways, I can't let you enter, because I can't let Killua's friends be turned into bones like the men earlier."

"Wait, wait…" Akane said. She could see a hole in the matter. "Why are _you, _then, unharmed? You should be able to enter _somehow _without being killed.. otherwise, why would you have the key?"

"Smart observation, young girl," Zebulo said, sipping on his tea. "But still, you are half wrong."

"Ehh?" Akane now couldn't understand.

"I don't enter with this key," Zebulo said. "This is the special key for intruders. All the weird, ridiculous people who decide to blow up the front entrance are annoying. So we built a side door, with a lock. The intruders manage to steal the key from me, and I don't resist… so they are eaten by Mike, at the end. They walk right into the jaws of death… the poor men."

_A special key just for this!_

"With your look as a weak gate guadian, you're just basically in charge of cleaning up the mess that hound makes, aren't you?" Akane said, and he nodded with a smile. Akane was now _thoroughly _creeped out of the Zaoldyecks…

"…On the real door, there's no lock!" Kurapika exclaimed, and Zebulo said, "Exactly!"

"You mean—"

xXx

Akane and Leorio dashed to the giant, seven-layer door. Leorio came first and started to push, but Akane laughed at him. She pushed at him and she tried to push. Angrily, Leorio fought back and pushed her away again.

"Geez, you're like kids! Take your turns… Make the girl go first, will you, Leorio?" Zebulo said with a light laugh.

With a triumphant snort, Akane came to the door first as Leorio flicked his tongue out at her. Akane breathed, concentrating. She remembered how her Sensei in Martial arts told her to relax her upper body when doing strong pushes. Relax and tense, relax and tense, like a quick tone-up of her muscles. She breathed deeply. And pushed.

The doors creaked, maybe a mere inch, then she had to let go. She was strong—_but not strong enough. _She could hear Killua's taunting voice in her head.

_Weak. Not strong enough._

_Useless._

She slumped on the ground, breathing hard. "Akane, are you alright?"

Akane noticed, but her eyes had turned red. She looked up at Gon, making him gasp. "I'm fine. I'll open this door. I'll try… I'll try." She turned around, and eyes blazing scarlet, breathed and relaxed her muscles as earlier. With one big gulp of air, she pushed once more, now harder.

This time, the door opened, and there was a little slit of opening between the two heavy pieces of concrete door. But it closed immediately as it opened—everything she had worked on gone again.

"Damn!" she cursed as she slumped on the ground again, wiping off the beading sweat from her forehead. "Zebulo-san, how heavy are these doors? It's not impossible to open, but it's one hell of a task."

Zebulo smiled as he took off his uniform polo shirt. "You're a strong girl, in mind, in body, and in soul. You had the determination to keep pushing, you had the strength to actually push the door, and you had the mind to relax your muscles first. Excellent training, tell you, but still not enough."

_Not enough._

Akane narrowed her eyes, watching Zebulo come closer to the door, trying her best to ignore the voice in her head.

"You see, this door's nickname is called the _Door of Verification. _The ones who can't open this door, don't have the right qualities to enter the Zaoldyeck's domain. Not worthy," Zebulo said with a fiercer tone as blazing aura came spewing out into every gigantic piece of muscle in his body.

Akane's eyebrow twitched. The old man had gigantic biceps—she thought maybe this is the kind of strength and muscle they needed to open the door… she had a little smile on her face as she imagined Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika with those muscles. She didn't bother to imagine herself since her Sensei told her that even though her muscles became tougher and stronger, she still remained to be thin, still looking weak, with slender curves. And she hated looking vulnerable.

She gasped as Zebulo opened the door with all his might, and then just closes up on him again. "You see, the door closes automatically. Once it opens, you have to enter without pausing. It becomes harder every year for me.. when I don't manage to anymore, I would get fired." Zebulo spun his arms, flexing his muscles. "'_Do not attack people that enter through the door of verification.' _That was the order given to the Mike." Zebulo turned to Akane. "To answer your first question, girl, each side of the first door is two tons."

Akane sighed. "Ugh! Makes sense!" Akane looked up at the seven doors. "The weight doubles per extra layer?" Zebulo nodded.  
Leorio's mouth was now wide open. "Double…"

Zebulo was now beaming with pride as he turned to Gon. "When Killua entered, he opened the third door."

"12 tons!" Gon said, and Akane and Kurapika sweatdropped, correcting him with a light, "16, Gon."

"Can you see the difference now? The world they live in is different than ours. It would be better to leave.. I'm sorry."

Gon's eyes burned with determination as he stared at the door. "Sir, lend me your keys."

Akane, Kurapika, Leorio and Zebulo all asked him the same question.

"What?"


	21. Look Inside

**A/N: **For some reason, I hate myself. Gag me.  
After promising I'll rewrite and fix up the earlier chapters [by that I mean the first five] for improvement, I end up doing _this. _Dude! *smacks herself*

I am peeling away Akane's past piece by piece... well, at least I got to explain a bit of the stuff that really happened in the Zaoldyeck arc. Kinda.

The song thing you'll encounter below is completely made up... the prayer, though, isn't. But you should know that.  
'Live and let live.' I've been listening to too much David Archuleta... *refers to "Something 'bout love"*

**OWC: **2,803 words

**Disclaimer: **Yoshihiro Togashi owns the rest of the characters. I own Katarina "Akane" de Marquez Dukarra. ^^ Her name is so funny long!

**

* * *

[Akane's POV]**

"What?"

I gasped, my poor brain cells now working a little too fast than usual. The friction in my head as I scratched it was slowly killing them all, one by one. I could feel them pop, and comprehension went down the drain as I repeated what I said.

"What?"

"I don't like it," Gon merely stated, "that I have to go through a test just to see a friend. So I'd rather come in as an intruder… which is basically what really we are now."

_Oh God no… _I prayed silently in my head to whatever god there really was above us. _Doesn't he remember that giant dog? _I sent a worried glance at Gon, hoping he'd notice. _I like dogs but not __**that**__ kind of dog…_

"Didn't you see the paw of that giant beast, Gon? It was probably twice bigger than you, and that was just a paw!" Leorio exclaimed.

_Someone gets the point!_

"No! I don't think it is righteous to test just for visiting a friend! I will come in the intruders' door!" Gon said stubbornly. I was starting to think that maybe this stubbornness won't get to anything and that it would only get in the way, but I hope that's not entirely true.

When it comes to Gon, you have to be patient with him—basically it's just Push-comes-to-shove when it comes to these things concerning Gon's stubbornness. In short, it means you have to bear with it.

_Geez._

Now my brain cells, with the friction they created, sent my blood pressure to the tips. I was falling over, that well-worked on calmness. I didn't like how he was acting—and like how I did with Dad, I will fight for what is right now.

"GON!"

He looked at me with eyes burning with emotion—most likely determination and anger. Yet his chocolate brown eyes still contained that childlike innocence… he surely didn't want to do with _anything _concerning the Zaoldyecks other than Killua. He doesn't show it, but he's fearful as well. "Akane?"

Releasing all the anger and annoyance at him, I did it all in one full blow, not allowing him to speak once between my words. "Didn't you at least think of Zebulo-san? I don't think he'll be able to bear another day of this already hellish life if you go ahead and commit suicide under his own watch. Look, he's trying to save you! He doesn't want us to go because we are Killua's friends! And at this, it is proven that he also cares about Killua! Do you see my point, Gon? Think through this clearly first. It's going to be very reckless to attack blindly. You will reach nothing!" I said with a reprimanding voice. _I hope that got into him. _

Gon's hard visage melted and Zebulo smiled a little. "Akane-nee-san's right… I'm sorry, Zebulo-san, I should've thought of your situation first."

Zebulo nodded a slight thank-you, and all that shouting and debate turned into a dim, tense silence. No one knew what to say next—no one dared start up conversation again.

"Gon-san, are you fond of animals?" Zebulo asked out of the blue, catching my and the others' attention. It was really out of the blue, but my slow mind caught up with the situation soon enough.

_Is he really planning to—?_

"Eh… Yes, Zebulo-san," Gon said hesitatingly, like he didn't want to answer.

Would he have, if he had figured out Zebulo-san's plan from the start?

"I'll open the door of verification once more, Gon, and take a good look at Mike."

_Gulp._

* * *

The four-ton doors opened and Zebulo-san, Gon, Leorio, Kurapika and I came in just before it closed once more. I was looking worriedly around the surroundings—there was a very malicious, deadly aura lingering within striking closeness. I could say it was Mike.

Zebulo whistled, very lightly, and it sounded like he was saying "Mike" very softly to a kid. _He was calling to the dog… _I murmured, listening to him. The whistle was such a haunting tune. I shivered in fright.

_Now I get it why people are so afraid of the Zaoldyecks. _

From my left, a giant, white furry _monster _came from the shadows of the trees. His fur was almost as white as Killua's hair, but maybe a bit dirtier with the soil and dirt it had rolled on—like a real puppy? No. He was nowhere looking like a puppy, or a dog. No.

Not when he was twenty times my height.

Not possible.

Not in hell.

_Oh geez, _the voice in my head taunted. I figured it might be my dying brain cells. _You're afraid of __**that?**_

I gulped down the fear, and watched as Gon took a wary step closer. Even more terrified fear was clouding his eyes, and I could see that. But he was trying to restrain it—obviously he was trying to 'contact' whatever life and heart that demon had in his self. If he had any. Gon… he was astonished, amazed, yet frightened and cautious at the same time.

"This is Mike. Now, he's recording the faces he sees who enters the gate for the future… he's like a machine. He's a perfectly trained hound dog."

_Hound dog? _I gasped in my mind. _You call that a hound dog? I call that a devil!_

I was then thoroughly freaking out in my mind.

A very fast, very quick, fleeting image of InuYasha, one of those animes I watched when I was young, came into mind. I managed to smile at the irony the memory raised, but I wasn't about to relax my guard that easy.

"Do you think you can communicate with him, Gon-san?" Zebulo asked.

Gon shook his head. "No. Not when I saw his eyes. … They're lifeless," he said, the last statement sounding more of pity than fear.

"Do you want to fight him, Gon-san?" Zebulo continued to ask.

_Of course not! Didn't you hear him, old man? _I thought in my mind as Gon shook his head once more. "No, Zebulo-san. You are right, Zebulo-san. He is like a machine."

"A thoughtless monster," Leorio whispered, low enough so no one but me could hear. I nodded.

"It's a devil's hound," I said, and he nodded as well.

Mike turned away and left—how relieved I was to watch him go. If possible, I would never want to meet a kind of creature of that calibre ever again. Ever. Not in this lifetime.

* * *

Zebulo turned to talk to Gon. He invited us into his house, which was but a little cabin, but much bigger than the one by the gate. The door of the cabin looked pretty much normal… but then again, things aren't what they usually seem to be.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS DOOR?" Leorio panted as he tried to push the door. He was still weak, I could say. Sensei trained me to a weight tolerance of 700kg—after that, though, I persisted with my mom and dad and ran off the hunter exam.

So the gate was really out of my bounds—but I'll manage.

I sighed at Leorio's reddening face. "Lemme try," I said, and pushed him away from the door _real _hard. He stumbled but managed to get on his feet.

I pushed, and I actually tripped as the door opened. _I think I used too much strength… _I thought as I dusted myself after I picked myself up from the door. "I'm guessing it's a few hundred kilos?"

"The girl is WEIRD!" Leorio gasped before Zebulo could answer. Zebulo, meanwhile, let out a hearty laugh.

"She's just strong. I believe you had weight tolerance training?" Zebulo asked, and I nodded. "The doors were 200kg per side. Until what weight can you bear, Akane-san, if you mind me asking?"

"700," I answered, and leaned on the door as I breathed. "The Gate… Door…. of Verification, was _wa-a-a-a-ay _out of my bounds. But I believe I'll make it."

Zebulo nodded. "You will. As well with your friends. Here, take this—this is for training," he said, and handed us vests. I was guessing, 150 kilos? Around that. "We'll add the weight as the days pass." Then he gave some slippers. "These too. They're 20 kilos each."

I smiled. It was really déjà vu-ish. I did the same things with my master… almost. Only in the morning, I had to do laps with solid bricks being balanced on my head and on my hands. At night, I had to sleep with suits filled with rocks. And the bricks and the rocks got heavier and heavier as the days passed. Well, the training was worth it.

I wore the vest and slippers, no sweat, watching as Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika struggled with theirs. _Maybe mine is lighter? _I thought. They were **men, **Jesus Christ; they should be stronger than me, right?

Zebulo handed us some tea cups. "Here, have some tea." I took the cup and was surprised with the weight—but that was it. I could handle it. "Beware—the tea is hot, and the cup is heavy."

But it was too late. Leorio spilled it all over his vest, the cup slipping out of his grip. Zebulo rolled his eyes humorously as I laughed. "Le-o-ri-o the klutz!" I chanted with a laughing voice.

For some reason, I had that feeling our stay would be somehow fun.

* * *

"You're all hunters, aren't you?" Zebulo asked, and we all nodded. "I feel sorry for the news."

I nodded glumly. I know what 'news' he was talking about. "I feel bad for him. What does his family have against him?"

Zebulo shook his head. "Actually, nothing. Only that he is very important to the Family. It was rumoured that of all five children of the Zaoldyecks, he, the middle child, is the one most capable and suited for heir. That's why they want him to stay. It would be a great loss if he runs off once more. Only the last time, he managed to leave after severely injuring his mother and brother," Zebulo said.

_Severely injuring his mother and brother. _The words seemed to have a deeper meaning than what seems to be… like he did something worse than 'severely injuring' them.

Again, the reason for my doubt—_they are the Zaoldyecks, after all. _

"There are five children?" Kurapika asked.

Zebulo nodded. "Yes. But only Killua-sama is the one you would be able to approach."

_I think I know what that means._

After eating, Zebulo sent us to do the chores. Kurapika set out for wiping the table, Gon the sweeping, and Leorio the other small, miscellaneous chores. I set out for washing the dishes—humming a tune as I went; whispering, in a tiny voice, the lullaby-song I had long known yet my Mom professes to not knowing.

"_May the sun rise on her tomorrow,  
May the clouds take away her sorrow.  
The birds will sing to your daughter a song of life  
a reason to live in this place full of strife.  
Give her a reason not to forget  
Her mother and father, that day they last met  
May the flowers give her hope to live  
And remember the gifts she has received  
And may she be thankful you have spared her soul  
From that bloody place of hurt and ghouls.  
Bring her the light that will shine over her way  
Resound the music that will be heard on that day  
Spare her from the pain and let her survive  
Watch over her as she makes a good wife.  
Live and let live."_

I had finished the dishes when I realized my voice got a little louder that supposed. I turned red as I closed the faucet, turning around to the guys who were apparently staring at me with surprised glances. "Well, I guess that's one thing from me you haven't heard."

"You have a very sweet voice, Akane-nee-san," Gon said with a smile and I smiled back at him. "Thank you Gon."

Leorio just snorted and continued arranging things by the cupboard. Kurapika, however was still staring at me.

"I have a feeling you have an unvoiced question," I said.

"…Where did you hear that?" Kurapika finally asked.

"I… I just know it. From memory. I don't know where I heard it…" I admitted at last. "It's just in my head."

Kurapika nodded, and then turned back around to wiping the table. I raised an eyebrow before finally going to the bedroom to prepare myself for a good shower.

But I can't get that weird nodding and Kurapika's response out of my head.

_What is it this time?_

**

* * *

[Kurapika's POV]**

_A woman was embroidering something on a piece of light blue cloth. Her son was watching her do her work, and with a light voice, she suddenly started singing. "May the sun rise on him tomorrow, May the clouds take away his sorrow. The birds will sing to your son a song of life, a reason to live in this place full of strife. Give him a reason not to forget his mother and father, that day they may have last met. May the flowers give him hope to live, and remember the gifts he has received. May he be thankful you have spared his soul from that bloody place of hurt and ghouls. Bring him the light that will shine over his way; Resound the music that will be heard on that day Watch him grow and his life may be brightened. Watch him become a very good husband. Live and let live."_

"_What song is that, ma?"_

"_It's a song you should remember. It's a song that comes from every Kuruta's heart."_

I watched Akane leave us with the chores. The song is only taught to Kurutas ten years of age. Girls' songs are a little different from Boys' songs. Besides, only their parents teach them the song. And Akane's parents aren't exactly Kuruta.

…So how does Akane know it?

**

* * *

[Akane's POV]**

The refreshing feel of the shower onto my tired body was delightful. It was relieving. I shook my wet hair as I faced the mirror.

I wiped the vapour off of it and stared at my reflection. My hair had grown very long—almost waist now. When I left home before the hunter exams, it had only been a few past my shoulder. How long has it been?

A month and two weeks.

I wrapped my towel around my body as I stumbled out the shower room back into the bedroom. I locked the door to the bedroom before proceeding to dress. I made it a point to still wear the vest. I will be honest to this training.

Well, it was for Killua, after all.

I sat in the dark shadows of the room. I had lit only one candle, and it lay at the other corner far from me. I basked in the dark silhouettes. I felt like I was being swallowed up by it, and with Mike's howl I really felt like I was drowning in it.

Three knocks from the door. "Akane?"

I looked up. "Yeah!" I called and he opened the door. He went in already in his sleeping clothes—and the vest—and a bed head hair, for some reason.

"Hi," he greeted, and I smiled at him in reply. "Do you mind if I…"

I didn't really know what he'd do, but if it was private, he would've done it somewhere else since he was a very modest person. So I answered, "No. Take your time."

He nodded and went to a bed and sat cross-legged on it. I could hear him whisper… I muted my breathing so I could hear him more clearly.

"…_our souls from the heavens. Giving this body to the wind that blows, bless god for the miracle, and the Kuruta territories. Wishing to share everlasting peace in our souls, I desire to share the mirth with my people, I desire to share their sadness. God please praise eternally, the Kuruta people. Let us use our Scarlet eyes."_

For some reason I had a feeling _I _was supposed to know that. Or, at least it sounded familiar… striking somewhere close to home.

The doubts came back. He was hiding something from me—I could sense it. And that 'something' was vital to my goal, I could say that.

When he was done, I went beside him and asked him, "Kurapika, are you hiding something?"


	22. Momentary Relief

**A/N: **YATTA! Sem break is over and I'm back in front of the computer. I'm still rearranging my things to be back in school but I still want to linger on the vacation days. So I said I'd finish 22... I was about to exit when I realized I had FLFH to write so I said if I get ALH out of the way I would be able to concentrate on the budding plot of FLFH, so I did this first.

**OWC: **3,028

**DISCLAIMER: **Hunter x Hunter belongs to Yoshi-sama!

**

* * *

****(Akane's POV)**

'GO LE-O-RI-O! YOU CAN DO IT, GO GO GO!" I chanted from behind Leorio, who was pushing the Door of Verification with all his might. As usual, we were training wee early in the morning after all the chores have been done. _Exactly _after all the chores have been done. So tired or not, we had to try and push the door at least 20 times every morning, 20 in the afternoon, and 20 before supper. And such was the schedule.

Leorio panted hard. He was-still-having a hard time, but I was right thinking he was going to be the one who would be improving very much-like me-since when the door creaked open, it was just about the size I could open it the first time I tried when we first arrived. Around one and a half inches. Good enough, for someone who tried just recently. Who had no weight tolerance training. Finally, the door creaked closed on him and he slumped in the ground.

I grinned at him before proceeding to coming to the Door. I tapped his shoulder as he edged off to get off my way. "Good job, Leorio!" He beamed happily at me before I finally flexed my muscles and grinned mischievously. "My turn!" I breathed and put my arms out in front of me.

I felt eyes staring at me. Most likely from the three guys I am with… but this one was particular.

I knew it was Kurapika's, for some reason.

Maybe because it had been five days.

xXx

"_Are you hiding something, Kurapika?"_

_He looked at me like I was a great foolish nutcase. "Uh, no Akane."_

"_You're lying."_

_Kurapika shook his head. "No. Uh, Goodnight," he said, before finally pushing me off his bed and curled under his covers. I, with the vest, lost balance a little but I managed to get up on my feet._

"_Kurapika—"_

"_Goodnight, Akane."_

He hasn't talked to me ever since.

xXx

"Akane! Akane! You can get through the door now! Wow!" Gon's cheerful voice woke me up. Well, at least from that thinking.

I looked at the door. It was true—I was completely in and can go. I took a step and the door closed behind me. I was inside Zaoldyeck territory-and with that, I felt that weight in my chest lighter, yet the weight was still there.

I wondered, _who would try to open the door next? _I looked up sadly at the sky. _Who would be able to pass the test as well?_

_Will Killua be able to?_

The voice in my head answered me. At first I was terrified of the voice in my head, but then I realized it just might be my conscience or the ghost of my mistakes-_or even Killua, _I shuddered-so I just listened to it. **_I got through the third door, moron._**

_Not that kind of test, stupid._

**_Huh?_**

_Just... nevermind._

"AKANE-NEE-CHAN!" Gon's shrill voice called and I shot my eyes back to the gate. He was pushing the gate with his only-halfway-healed arm. He was trying to open it but his arm-that had barely recovered-was still aching. Then I saw him lose his grip and he was sliding yet still fighting to open the door. I knew he'd get hurt. I dashed toward him-saving him despite knowing he didn't want to be saved-and pushed the door open to help him. He slid between the gap and the door closed.

"That was a close call, wasn't it?" I said, dusting myself. "Are you okay, Gon?"

"Haha.. I almost got in trouble again, didn't I? Heh, thanks for saving me, Akane-nee," he said, scratching that non-existent itch at the crown of his head. "I should stop forcing myself."

"Yes, and you should wait for your arm to heal first." I blinked and saw him staring at the faraway mountain. He was looking at the high mansion of the Zaoldyecks, several thousand feet above sea level. I knew what he was thinking of.

"Gon.."

"Akane-nee?"

"Do you think we'll be able to get him?"

"What do you mean, Akane?"

"...on time, that is."

I looked at Gon with Eager, worried eyes. I knew how the Zaoldyecks were. They could do anything to people they didn't know. They murdered my father's parents.

_They murdered my father's parents._

It was a story my father only related to me once-he seemed very cold and distant whenever he talks about it. Even colder than he seemed to be usually. It was like he hated telling it. To anybody. My mother never heard of it until when he told it to me. And he made us promise not to tell anyone.

It was a quick story, and he didn't detail. Maybe because I was four-years-old then, and 'blood and gore' didn't really apply to the 'things to watch' list. All in all, he told it in a span of two minutes. He didn't even give time for it to settle down.

_'It was on the day after my younger sister's birthday,' _he told me. _'It was raining outside and my parents had just finished putting in all the party materials. There were five-year-olds everywhere!' _He looked out the window glumly. _'Well, I was about to clean up the mess they were making when my father pushed me into the corner, into the little room underneath the stairs. He told me, "Stay here, shut up, don't make a noise, or do anything stupid or you're going to die." I didn't hear any sounds after that, but I did what I was told. I kept the light off, and crawled into the farthest corner and hid between my knees.' _His eyes were now starting to fill, and his voice filled with emotion. _'Then I heard shrieks. I heard the wind blow hard on the wooden doors, I heard it howl. I heard the five-year-olds squabble out, maybe shrieking terrified. I was expecting my sister to burst into the little room but no. I heard pleading, but that was suddenly covered up by a gruesome choking noise._' The tears finally fell down like waterfalls from his eyes. I gasped-my father wasn't usually the one to give in to emotional stress. But still, he continued. _'My ears were now stuck by the door, all fear forgotten. I couldn't sob, because I had to keep quiet. That's what Father told me. I heard crying-I recognized it as Larissa. She was four... and I heard her fight back. She told the assassins to move back and shut up-maybe she heard it from father.'_

With that he stopped, so I had to prod him back. '_What happened to Risa-chan, papa?'_

_'She was killed. The blood seeped from the door. When I came out, though, there was nothing but blood and bodies. And I knew who did it.'_

_'Who, papa?'_

_'Do you promise me never to mess with them?'_

I gulped. I hated making promises. And I could never be sure if I'll be able to fulfill them and keep them. But I wanted the rest of the story, so I answered in a soft, hesitant voice: _'...yes.'_

_'They're the Zaoldyecks. A family of assassins, sons of the devils. They live in that mountain, high over there'-he pointed at Kukuru-'and that's why we never have family picnics there. Got it?' _I was still terribly shaken, but I nodded. He took my head under my chin and said, _'Don't worry. Unlike Risa-chan, I'll save you from danger.'_

_'I promise.' _

So in short terms, they could do whatever they wanted to the people they didn't know before the assassination, So what more to the people they knew?

_They were born as assassins, Katarina. And they will die as assassins._

"Don't worry, Akane-nee," Gon said with a hopeful voice, not just to cheer me up-he was also very hopeful.

"How come you're so optimistic?" I asked him with a smile. I was serious-I really was curious how he could keep up to his becoming happy and cheery despite the dreary occasions. Even knowing his own father had lied to him and now the boy's searching for that lame excuse of a father... that's something sad, really, if not something to be sad about. But he... he's just plain determined.

_Naive, tenacious weirdo._

Gon grinned at me. Apparently, he had a reason. "Well, Mito-san taught me that feeling low won't change anything so it's better to just keep living with a smile and hope in your dreams. And besides, if plan A doesn't work, I always just remember that there are 25 more letters of the alphabet." His smile now reached his ears.

"You funny kid," I told him and ruffled his messy hair. "But Killua.. he.." Worry, obviously, was very apparent in my tone because Gon put a hand on my shoulder, trying his best in his naively innocent childish ways to comfort me.

"Don't worry, Akane-nee. We'll be able to. We'll persevere, for Killua!"

I smiled at him. _Of course. _"For Killua."

* * *

After that long tiring day, I went to the bedroom. And I did not just go to the bedroom just to go there-I purposely decided to go at such late hour of the night to the bedroom to talk to Kurapika. As I expected, he sat by the windowpane silently watching the moon and the stars. _Reminiscing again, _I thought. _Leave it to Kurapika to think of the most mind-numbing, heartfelt things in the dead of the night. Yes. Leave it to him._

"Akane. You're still up."

_Yes I am, and that isn't obvious now is it. _I stopped that mean train of thought after I realized that those four words were the first four words he had spoke to me after five days that weren't just for politeness. I realized after a few milliseconds that that was the first sentence of honest care and brotherly love after five days of coldness. _Maybe you shouldn't be so stingy, _I thought. Whose conscience, whether that little inner voice in me or mine, I didn't know. Or care.

"And you are, too. Why still awake?"

He shifted, if by only a few centimeters. He still didn't look at me. I was wondering, at that moment, why he wasn't asleep. Because of what I knew of Kurapika, he was very punctual and on time. Usually he was already halfway done on his chores whenever Gon, Leorio and I awoke in the morning. My mind continued to wonder-_Was it normal for this boy to wake so early despite sleeping so late? Is it force of habit? _Why I bothered to ponder was actually beyond me. I just did.

"It's a habit of mine to stay up this late at night."

In his voice, his apparent disinterest in talking showed perfectly well. He didn't want to talk to me, that's all. But I didn't just give up like that-my mind told me, _Cold versus cold. If he wants to beat you with cold stares and the unwavering silence of indifference, beat him with it too. And see who melts first._

"So I guess that's an applicable reason for me as well."

I had to stifle the upcoming yawn that came at the end of the sentence. I sat on the bed nearest him and watch as his ice blue eyes stare at the white moon. A silver cloud started to cover the brilliance of the moon and after the moon finally disappeared behind the thickness of those silver entities, he finally turned around. _Getting serious, at last. _His yellow bangs fell on his face, slightly covering his eyes. I could say, despite the shadow across them, that there was an emotion hovering in them. A heavy one. A very, very heavy one.

"You want to tell me something, Akane?"

There goes. _Drop the bomb so fast? _I cleared my throat, getting ready for the debate. "I was wondering why you didn't talk to me the past five days."

"You didn't ask me to talk to you."

I blinked at him. _How could he be so insensitive? _"No... I mean, you seemed to be ignoring me."

"Akane.. I just..."

"You have things to think about, don't you?"

He nodded. "And things you have to know but I don't think you should know."

I bit my lip. That was basically keeping secrets from me, secrets I should know. Secrets that might help me reach my goal. And he was hiding it from me. But I worried and hesitated on force-asking him because I had that gut-feeling that if I did, this slowly-being-glued-together-friendship-because-it-had-shattered will be broken once more. So I decided patience would be the key.

"If you're not ready to tell me yet, and you think I'm not ready, it's okay. I can wait." I paused. "Under one circumstance."

Obviously he was already okay with the first part of my statement. He flinched a little after I said about that 'circumstance.' "What circumstance?"

"That we'll be friends and there'll be no ignoring and no nothing like that until that time comes." I grinned. Mom told me that acting childishly-at least me acting childishly-won the hearts and minds of most of the people I talked to. _Maybe it'll work with Kurapika as well._

He smiled at me. "Deal." He nodded and I smiled at him as well, finally letting go of that yawn sticking in the sides of my throats. "Oyasumi, Kurapika."

"Oyasumi."

_Why didn't I do it earlier? Why did I hesitate? Why did I wait? _The weight on my chest finally slowly ebbed away, giving me that well-sought-after relief.

**_Good for you.

* * *

_**

Lazing around.

Lazing around was the best thing to do, since we were all so tired with all the training. The sun was already hitting on our skins real hard, yet were were just there, staring at the giant doors. Leorio was still trying to push.

"You won't learn it all in a second, Leorio. What Zebulo-san said was right; you have to do it slowly."

"But I want to learn it fast, like now!" He said, and stubbornly continued to push. He reminded me of Gon for half a second there. "Now.. I have to..."

"You know, challenge yourself on something else and stop drowning your sanity there, Leorio. ...if you have some, that is!" I said with a laugh and he lunged at me and soon Gon, Kurapika, Leorio and I were all drowning in insane laughter.

Suddenly Leorio looked up and stared at the door. Not the big door, no-the intruder's door. "I think I know what that 'something else is,' he said with a grin. A very, very cheeky one. I knew it was not going to end well...

"You're not planning on-"

"Yes I am!" Leorio said. "If I can't open the big door, how easy would it be to push this one!" He put out his arms and pushed very hard. Not enough for the big door, but enough for the much smaller, much weaker intruder's door because it gave it with the strength and weight he gave. The door fell down and he was there. Frozen. Paralysed, maybe.

_I knew it!_

"LEORIO! HURRY!"

Mike came to his senses fast. It was easy to sense the danger that came with his huge, scary presence. I tried to remember the tune Zebulo-san used on him, but it completely slipped my measly mind. I couldn't focus, and my thoughts were jumbled up.

"LEORIO! STAND UP! MIKE!"

Mike was out the bushes quickly, and was about to stomp Leorio like a little bug. Leorio, though, managed to jump out to a little shrub before he could be squished.

"Leorio.. he's safe!"

I watched the scene with quiet, worried eyes. I wasn't looking at Mike, I wasn't looking at Kurapika, I wasn't looking at Leorio.

I was looking at Gon.

My guts were practically screaming, 'Something bad..' For some reason I tended to trust my instincts more than anything. So I focused on Gon. Would he do what I was thinking?

With Gon's reckless personality? Of course.

The next thing I know, Gon was already out into the Zaoldyeck family's "Gardens", which was practically the hectare-large forest.

"GON!"

I ran after him, full-speed ahead.

* * *

**A/N: **It was supposed to end with 'Good for You' but you know how I am with cliffhangers P=

I'm going on a lag after this -_-' there's school, there's _one more _exam for High School... and then I have other problems.

Well, I know none of you know me in real life but still I'm putting it here - one of my teachers died two days ago by heart attack. T_T And this is why the end part was a little drearier than expected.. I just had to keep happy but still... T~T

Okay. end rant.


	23. Wounds

**A/N: **Nyaha~ after weeks on end~ xD Procrastinating on Procrastination.  
Calendar here says 3:50pm, November 24th. Happy Birthday KiGaMi! Okay, to ease the tense mood, everybody sing with Akane! ^^  
**[Akane: **Why me? **Me: **Just because.**]**  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU~~ xD  
Thankies for the people who greeted me/gave me gifts on my birthday~ Akane thank them too.  
**Akane: **Thanks ^/^  
(Yes, I have pretty long discussions with my characters. xDD)

Sorry for the over-angstiness of this chapter. Dun worry, we get past this arc and I'll be back to humor again.  
I hope.

**OWC: **2,431 words

**DISCLAIMER: **Yoshihiro Togashi owns HxH ^^

* * *

_Run after him._

**_Run faster._**

The adrenaline rushing in her spine was exhilarating. If she were in her normal state, her legs would've already broken out, dog-tired, but that time they continued to run, racing after Gon. The adrenaline was making her run. And she knew that adrenaline would save her, and Gon maybe, as well.

_Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump._

**_Hurry. You're running out of time._**

She barely paid attention to where she was going. She just kept coming after Gon, following seemingly-existing motion lines coming from where he proceeded into. She followed the heavy pounding of Mike's beastly paws into the forest ground. She sensed the surroundings turn into pure silence, just like the norms whenever a predator lingers in the area.

_Faster. Faster._

**_Mike's going to catch up soon enough._**

"GON, RUN!" She felt her legs suddenly turn wobbly, and they felt like jelly. Tiring faster than she expected, her fast marathon run turned into a brisk walk. Her knees started to buckle as she tripped on the ground, barely able to evade the little sharp stones that protruded from the damp forest ground soil.

_Mike... and Gon, they..._

**_Useless! If Gon gets hurt you're going to be all to blame._**

"I KNOW! I KNOW! STOP IT PLEASE!" She cursed to the consciences she was fighting with in her fragile mind. She felt beaten up and battered like dirt, mentally and emotionally. She struggled to stand up, fought against the pain, but she continued to stumble. She felt like shrinking. She hated losing, and shrinking into that little shameful level of 'uselessness' was far too heavy for her dignity.

_I'm Pathetic._

**_You're far too useless._**

"AAAH!"

Sudden snap back to reality after hearing Gon's painful scream. She ignored the pain, imagining it all numbed away after that excessively loud noise. She _tried _her best to run back to the noise. She ran, and ran, and ran. Ran like there was no tomorrow. Ran like the world would end if she didn't save that child.

Gon.

_That's it... you knew you could do it._

**_There was no giving up, after all._**

She saw Gon, almost falling off a cliff. His loud roar for a child might as well have been his battle cry. He was heading toward the edge of the cliff. Akane shouted. "GON!" She ran over to him, despite the pain, and jumped after him just a little after he fell over. She grabbed Gon's wrist, no plan on letting go.

"Why did you do that, Gon?"

"I wanted to save Leorio!"

"He could've saved himself!"

"But that's Leorio!"

Oh, she would've loved to laugh at that moment. Gon being naive was just typical, but saying that was just plain humorous and entertaining to her ears. If only they weren't hanging for their lives.

Suddenly she heard a familiar haunting tune. When she heard the tune, Mike turned and dashed toward it like a puppy hearing its master's whistle. She recognized it as the whistle Zebulo used to call Mike.

_Safe._

**_This time, for sure. _**

After that, Seaquant came to them and rescued them by pulling them up.

"Thanks, Akane-nee."

"Thank Seaquant-kun, he brought us up."

"You let me hold on to you and you didn't let go."

"Well, I guess you got that. Thank you for being such a great friend deserving to be saved."

Gon could just grin.

* * *

20 days had passed after Zebulo the gatekeeper took them in for training. After 20 days, this training had gone on pretty smoothly, and as per usual they were all doing the training in the afternoon.

For some reason, all of them felt it, that gut-feel that told them something special would happen. Akane hoped it was what she thought would really happen.

Gon pushed the door first. His determination, coming from his pure, wild, and untamed animal instinct, taught all the rest of them that if they do their best to what they do, they'll manage whatever they wish to do. Perseverance was also another thing, but that's going to be a different story. And all of them cheered when they watched him open the first door. Especially Akane, who, since the start, had been cheering for Gon like a great sister. "Okay, Kurapika!" he said with a sweet smile as Akane ruffled his already very zero-gravity, spiky hair.

Kurapika pushed second. He taught the group of focus (where he had learned it from would maybe be reflected on how seriously focused he is on his revenge). Yes, they had to focus all their energy and all their power into the door, because with that he believed they'll be able to do it. He pushed the door and did it up to the first door, like Gon. They smiled and congratulated him, especially Gon and Akane-the cheeriest members of the group next to Killua. Kurapika smiled, knowing if they kept it like this, they're going to make it clearly through in no time. "Leorio?"

Leorio pushed the door third. He taught the other what he had learned from Akane-he had to flex his muscles nice and firm first before he started pushing. In other words, he had to prepare himself for everything, before striking to battle. Yes, he had to plan first before rushing into the enemy. With that, he managed to push out the first door, and even the second door. He received a grand, celebratory round of applause before turning around to grin again. "Thanks! Akane, your turn!"

Akane smiled and pushed the door, being the fourth and the last to do so. She taught the others what she had learned from her favorite childhood Sensei-to believe. She said that if you say to yourself, "I can do it!", you'll really be able to do it. It was almost like Gon's. She was a little annoyingly entertained at Gon's naivety, but little did she know she was almost as naive as Gon as well. She saw through both sides but she still believed that maybe, just maybe, that bad side would turn all right. She didn't like to be called naive, so she said she was optimistic. And with that childish optimism, she opened through the second door with a big grin.

With that, they all knew the end result. They've all done it.

They're all one step closer to Killua.

* * *

"THANK YOU ZEBULO-KUNN! AND TO YOU SEAQUANT-SANN!" Gon waved his arms in a friendly goodbye. "YOU'VE ALL BEEN AWESOME!"

"Shucks, that was nothing. You kids take care, 'kay?" Zebulo said said, a little awkward, but still with the fatherly warning.

Gon nodded in response. "Yes sir!"

Zebulo laughed like an old man, somehow reminding Akane of Santa Claus. "Anyway. Go up this path to the mountain. I _think _the mansion's up there... Geez, 've been here 20 years now yet I've never been there. Hope I haven't sent you the wrong way."

"I'm sure it's going to be the right one, sir," Gon said with a grin. "We'll be going now. 'Bye Zebulo-kun, Seaquant-san, and thank you!" Gon started walking up the mountain path with Leorio, Kurapika and Akane.

xXx

"Where do you think this path will lead?"

"I'm not really sure."

"Maybe it'll lead to Killua!"

"Or maybe to another scary beast, geez!"

"Would you guys stay a little bright there? It's not even raining yet, stop being such a Kill-Joy."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it."

"Oh look, I see something!"

"What do you see, brown-eyes?"

"Hey, why did you call Gon a brown-eye, sunglass-face?"

"Not like it's not true! But why call me a sunglass-face, violet-eye?"

"Stop calling yourselves names!"

"It's funny seeing Leorio and Akane bicker."

"**_We're not bickering!_**"..."**_It's not even funny!_**"

"Look I see something!"

"Is that...a girl I see?"

* * *

As the three of them came near Kanaria, she tensed. It was rare to have intruders come. What's more, the last kind of people she welcomed were silent creepy men in black suits, guarding Killua with heavy security. Maybe to prevent him from running away again. They knew of his 'special talents' that were enough to pull him up in status as heir to the assassin clan. Oh no, not just any assassin clan, but _the _assassin clan. Dedicated to breeding assassins. They were feared by almost everyone.

_They were assassins, after all._

_"_Hi!"

_Keep a cold face, _she told herself. _You must follow orders._

"Hi, I'm Gon, Can we come through? We passed through the gate of verification!"

She watched the intruders take more comfortable steps on the path. She eyed them criticizingly. They looked like weak kids, in her eyes, compared to her masters. _Pathetic. _There were three of them. One of them, the one talking to her, was wearing a green jacket, with spiky black hair wilder than Killua's and chocolate brown eyes. There were two blondes, one with sea-green eyes and another with deep blue, but she couldn't be sure which one was the girl between the two since they both looked very feminine. The last one was a lanky, tall man with black hair and a pair of sunglasses on his nose.

"Leave. This is private property, and trespassers are not welcomed." She finally spoke up in a cold tone. She didn't like this job, actually. But, what could she do?

The brown-eyed boy, emm, Gon, continued to insist. "We called the butlers! And-and we passed the gate as well!"

"But the _butlers _didn't give you the access permission, now did they?" She asked.

Gon continued to stay stubborn. "No, even though we said that we were Killua's friends. ...Now, how _do_ we enter?"

"How would I know? There had never been a situation like this before." Her voice was still very cold, very indifferent and uncaring. But it seemed like the boy Gon perceived it. The faltering in her voice.

"So the only way would be to trespass, right?" Gon said. "Okay, let's do this."

* * *

_...21, 22, 23..._

Akane didn't know what in her subconscious mind made her actually want to count the times her younger friend got hit by the staff of the heartless girl gate-guardian. Every time she heard the staff whip through the wind loudly, she'd cover her face, wincing, because she didn't want to see. And for health reasons, because she knew dust would breeze across.

Later though, she realized she never removed her hands from her face. Because there was more than dust that she was protecting herself from.

_...24, 25, 26..._

Tears.

The tears fell like waterfalls from her eyes as she chanted 'Stop' in her mind. Seconds passed, minutes, hours. It was long enough for her, it was too long. She had had too much.  
She felt the wounds open, bleeding. Wounds in her heart, in her mind, in her soul.

In her self.

_...27, 28, 29..._

She watched, through her fingers, as Gon struggled to stand up. She saw with terrified eyes his face, battered and bleeding with a million cuts and bruises, not to mention his swollen eye.

Akane could almost see his pain through the gushing of the blood off his wounds.

But no, he wasn't giving up. His face was still purely of determination.

_...30._

'Stop it... Stop it Stop it Stop it Gon, Stop it...' Her mind was about to explode and she felt her knees buckle. She fell to the ground, hands on her face as she felt the weakness of fear and helplessness swallow her whole.

She couldn't help Gon. He wouldn't let her.

But the burden of all of it ended up with her.

..._31, 32, 33..._

Kurapika stared at her with sympathetic eyes. No one wanted to see Akane crying. She was too close to their hearts like a dear sister and friend to be able to stand to see her crying and in pain.

He couldn't stand as well that all he could do was watch. Watch her cry, watch Gon bleed. Because sometimes, he knew, the only way to be a friend is to just stay back.

But that was just too hard to do.

_...34, 35, 36..._

Gon's face hit the hard ground again. He tried to peel open one his other eye, the one that wasn't swollen, but he couldn't. It was somehow stuck half-lidded, and he couldn't get it to open.

And yet, even with that incapacity, he stood up again.

Ready to fight.

_...37, 38, 39..._

Akane didn't rise up from her position. Oh, she expected it, Gon falling down and standing up again. No one coming for comfort, because of pain within them as well. She knew pretty much well enough that no one wanted Gon to get hurt. She didn't want to cry as well, because she knew that would be a chewing pain in their heart as well, but she just couldn't stop, the tears continued to gush.

Oh yes, she knew. She knew too much the reality in the situation. It was at that moment when she wished she actually didn't just know.

_...40._

That it will never stop.


	24. Wrath

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait.

I didn't know how I'd be able to make this transition in the story (I wanted to make a change in the plot), but now that I've done it, I think maybe I shouldn't have done it in the first place. Akane and Gon are very OOC (and it is stated in the chapter!), but I wanted them to be in on the anger, even if Gon is a pretty kind kid.

Heh, It's pretty fun to make them OOC. Even Akane OOC-ism. Akane OOC-ism is like mixing her up with Crystal. And it is very deadly. (check below. xD)

I feel very bad for doing that to Gon though. So I promise I'll never make Gon do that again. (But there were a few times he did get angry in the anime/manga, now did he? IDK, I forgot. *did not pay attention*)

Oh, and there are more art links about Akane in my profile. Clickety-click.

**Dear reviewers, I appreciate reviews terribly. Lack of feedback/response makes me feel like I'm being ignored. And that you don't even care anymore. Any people who likes Akane/the storyline, please review. So that I'll know who still actually is an active reader/reviewer. **

I must stop ranting... and again, sorry for the excessively long wait.

**OWC: **2,710

**Disclaimer: **Hunter X Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. AKANE, however, IS MINE, MINE, AND MINE ALONE!

* * *

"Give it up."

Kanaria's trained and steely voice broke the silence, other than the noise of dust settling. She had her staff down on the ground again, ready for another attack if needed. There was exhaustion in her clear green eyes. Akane could see she was getting tired.

Akane thought Kanaria would be nuts if she didn't get tired. Tired of exerting effort torturing a poor defensive boy.

"What makes you think I would?"

Gon had such a loud voice, even if he was already in dear pain. Kanaria flinched a little upon hearing it. She cast a glance at Gon, and he was still struggling to get up. He had a bleeding eye, a few broken ribs, and by the way his determination was still in his voice, Kanaria thought maybe a little crack on his skull as well.

"Nothing. Average people would give it up right here."

Gon got up on his legs again, hands on his knees as he struggled to stay upright. Akane could see the large bleeding wound on his back, the deep scratches on his thighs and legs and his arms. She could barely imagine how he even manages to stand up at that rate of beating up.

If she were in Gon's place, maybe she would've just played dead.

"Well sorry," Gon said as he forced his leg one step front, and another. "Sorry that I'm not Average and all I want to do is save my best friend."

Right then, Gon stepped on the line. 0.2 Seconds later he was just as far as where he was a while ago.

And it all began again. Gon would continue to fight and stand. Akane, Kurapika and Leorio just could watch. Gon's pain, playing again and again, a repetitive motion in front of their eyes.

This just happened, once more, twice, thrice. Akane could feel the tears well again, a mere 5 hours after she tried to fight the first batch out. Kanaria could feel the sting of salt in her eyes as well. But she resisted it.

Instead she spoke just spoke up. "Why do you do this? Can't you see he's in pain? Why do you still let him stand? You're his friends, right? Do something about it!" Kanaria hoped to squeeze out whatever sympathy they had for Gon, there might be, but there was none.

Leorio, Akane and Kurapika just kept their cold, apathetic, unsympathetic glances. They knew what Gon was fighting for. They'd gladly take Gon's position, but since it was Gon, what could they do?

Nothing could break Gon's determination. They knew that from the start and believed in it.

And they were right.

Gon struggled to stand up again, and it is needless to say that he did not succeed to get through, as expected. And Akane was, even though she was a pretty patient person, getting sick of it. Gon flew with the hit again, and pretty hard this time as the force pushed him face-first across the ground, leaving a bloody mess.

Akane knelt down to Gon, and whispered some light words in his ears. She wasn't sure if he heard at all. Just as long as she said it.

She stepped, slowly, deliberately, like a zombie. Her bangs covered her eyes, and all Kurapika and Leorio could see was a shadow. No glint of life in her face, they were a little anxious about what Akane would do.

When Akane looked up, all of them were surprised to meet her dangerously glinting scarlet eyes.

_This can't be good._

Her movement was far too fast for their eyes to be able to catch. There was this blur of colors, and the next thing they knew, Kanaria was groaning… in pain.

Turns out Akane just jumped over the post to attack Kanaria from the back.

So yes, Akane was right behind her, eyes still a very furious red, hissing. She gripped firmly with her right hand Kanaria's clump of hair as she pulled it roughly down to the ground, making Kanaria look up.

Her tone proved her seething wrath even more… and it terrified Kurapika.

She spoke the words in a very seething whisper, very much different from the giggly Akane her friends knew. "I don't know what to call you; I don't know your name. But I know what you are. You're a heartless slave, meek and numb to this torture. I'd sure as hell be happy to show you how it is to be tortured the way you just tortured our friend, but Gon would kill me if I did that.

"Listen up, squirt. Let me just explain something to you. We're here to meet a friend and we come in _peace. _We're not doing anything wrong. If anything, it's your boss that's doing the wrong thing. They're robbing Killua of his right to be out and enjoying a life he deserves."

Then, Akane tapped one side of her neck strongly, and with that, Kanaria fell to the ground.

Akane started to breathe, but she was having a very hard time. She felt like there was something stuck in her lungs, making her breathing uneasy, but she continued to try… try until the redness faded away from her vision.

But when she thought everything was over and they could finally go, a different voice answered to her statement.

"But this is how Killua was born. A Zaoldyeck. He is, was, and always will be. Typically Zaoldyecks have a different 'life' they deserve. This is the same darkness they'll live in, bound to the chains of this hell they're raised in. What are you trying to prove, Dukarra?"

Akane turned angry aquamarine eyes to the new voice. It was painstakingly familiar. And she hated it. It was what caused all this.

Yes, her eyes immediately turned to its bright, sunset-colored scarlet once more.

"Illumi."

* * *

Gold and shiny.

And luxurious.

That was what Akane thought first about the Butler's Quarters. It was almost impossible and unthinkable for it to be just a Butler's Quarters—it was the size of her entire house times two. Don't let her get started with the extravagant accessories—even the chandelier seemed to have been encrusted with diamonds.

She let the light glare into her eyes as she tried to think back—would she regret her decision?

_"Killua already knows," Illumi stated blankly as he shuffled out from the darkness of the forestry, out from the bushes. That confirmed the presence Gon felt earlier, watching them._

_Akane didn't reply, and just cast a very irritated glare at Illumi. If looks could kill…Illumi's would've-been dismantled figure would've been far too disgusting to describe in words._

_"We've told Killua about you and your friends being around here in the area. Oh, look, he must be Gon, right? What a mess are you in now."_

_Gon growled a very bear-and-lion-like growl but Kurapika held his arms before he could do anything... Just in case. Leorio took a defensive step beside Gon too. They had a bad feeling of Gon growling._

_(They were right about that.)_

_Akane narrowed her eyes at Illumi. He had an unusual sing-song voice, as if he was very content and happy. If anything, she would've thought she was Hisoka right at that moment. That thought caused an involuntary shudder to run coldly down her back._

_"My entire family knows your presence here in the mansion," Illumi said, informing them. "Mother bore it the hardest. She's frustrated."_

_Akane took a courageous yet wary step near him. "What are you planning to do with him?" She was happy how her voice didn't falter despite the twisting of her stomach in knots. She tried to stay calm and look as brave and strong as she seemed to look like despite the dewing of cold sweat on her forehead._

_But the logic wasn't pushing her forward anymore; it was the adrenaline pumping in her veins, urging her to move over to him and fight._

_The cold sweat was immediately ignored._

_"Hmm... I'll put it like this—we're fine-tuning him."_

_It was then Akane's turn to growl. "He's not your machine."_

"_He's not your possession," Illumi said with a subtle and very irritating smirk. Akane had to clench her fists to prevent herself from punching the man. He was just like Hisoka, she thought—capricious liars who don't have much to do in life._

_Oh, joy._

_Akane took one more agitated step. "He's our friend. We don't own our friends. No one does. Preschoolers can answer that. Are you __**that**__ stupid?" she asked angrily._

_Illumi continued to smirk grandly at her, a smirk she knew would scar her mind and soul forever until she dies. It was evil, mischievous and full of nothing but bad stuff in it, she knew; it was worse than seeing Killua's eyes after he's made a kill. She flash-backed to the Hunter Exam to confirm with her memories, and she knew she was right._

"_Brave soul, answering back to a Zaoldyeck," another voice answered. Even Illumi was surprised at the arrival of the extra person._

_Akane, Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio turned their eyes to the point where the voice was from. It was an old man, maybe around 70 years old, with amused black dots for eyes, and wild gray hair that resembled Killua's except… it looked older. _

'_The grayness of the hair might be because of old age,' Akane thought to herself, observing that the old man's zero-gravity hair was less shiny than Killua's almost-steely-silver-under-snow-colored hair. _

_Other than that, the old man was wearing a suspicious outfit Akane couldn't put a name on. She could, however, read what was written on the piece of cloth hanging from his belly (that looked more like a loincloth than anything)—__**One day, one kill.**_

_Akane rolled her eyes. 'It must be how assassins think.'_

"_You are?" the old man asked._

"_You first."_

_Akane's voice was firm, and she was sure she wouldn't give in to fears at that moment. If she needed to fight with the old man to get Killua back, she would; even if she would have to get hurt and bleed and die on the way. _

_She, Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon cared, cares and—she knew—will care for Killua more than his brother and entire family does—and she knew he deserved much more than his sick twisted family._

_He wasn't their machine, he was a human. More specifically, he was a 12-year-old kid who loved chocolates and wanted to have friends. He may be the—supposed—heir of the powerful Zaoldyeck clan, but like any other kid his age, he has the right for speech. He can tell them what he wants and he should be understood. He wasn't a man-tearing life-taking soul-ripping monster, he was a kid who wanted to live his life the way he wanted to—with friends, with freedom, and of course, chocolates._

_Akane knew all that, and it only strengthened her resolve that she'll do all she can to save him._

"_Zeno Zaoldyeck, thank you. I'm Killua's grandfather." The old man smiled a very oddly warm smile at the four of them. "Back to my question, you are?"_

"_Killua's __**friends,**__" she said, hissing the last words for stressing. "We came by to see him."_

"_I thought you'd be more specific but… oh well. That's not the point. I've heard you were here to __**take **__him, young lady, and not see him. There is quite some difference." Zeno smiled another warm old-man smile. "We are here to protect Killua's nature—being an assassin is really what he really is."_

_Akane grunted. "Protecting Killua's real nature and turning him into your own programmed machinery of assassination are two completely different things. Old man, you must be wise enough to see the difference."_

"_I know better than you on things concerning the Zaoldyecks," he answered with another of his suspiciously soft smiles._

_Akane became even more irritated. "You don't know how it is to be human. None of you DO!" she said, taking a very comfortably confident toward Zeno. "Now would you please do us a favour and bring us to him!"_

_Zeno stroked his chin once before he nodded. "Okay. Why don't you just follow Illumi to the Butler's Quarters while I go and arrange this matter with their father?"_

_Akane cast an asking glance toward Gon, Kurapika and Leorio. Kurapika and Leorio nodded, but Gon was still growling… uncontrollably so, it creeped them out completely._

_**Akane and Gon are definitely acting out-of-character, **__Kurapika thought to himself._

"_Fine, we'll go," Akane said, nodding once to approve. Her emotions, becoming much calmer, made her red eyes fade back to their usual sea-color blue. Zeno nodded, acknowledging them._

_Them, because it wasn't just their decision he had acknowledged. Even Akane's existence and importance in the group… something like a stronghold._

_And her race… as one of the red-eyed people's surviving descendants._

_He nodded again, making Akane more suspicious, but she did not make a sound._

"_Illumi, lead them to Gotoh. He should be able to handle these youngsters," Zeno said, looking at Illumi, and at which Illumi blinked in response. That was enough, because after that, Zeno disappeared, blending as he moved through the leaves of their forest yard._

"_It's this way," Illumi muttered, voice colder and more sounding of death than if it came from a walking, undead corpse._

_Gon blinked, coming out of his growling trance. "What about her?" he asked, pointing at Kanaria._

"_They will care of her," he answered, and continued walking into the dark shadows of the forest._

_All the three could do was follow him silently.

* * *

_

Now they sat there, silently, warily, waiting for someone to tell them what they're supposed to do. Illumi told them to 'wait there and not make a move,' but they didn't quite understand why he would give them the warning.

He was Illumi, after all. The real reason why they were there. If he wasn't in the Hunter Exam, if he didn't fight Killua, maybe they'd be doing something else, somewhere else.

None if the excessively twisted and painful mess would've happened.

No one came, after minutes passed. Nothing happened. They thought, maybe, it was really just a waiting place until Killua comes and the matter is settled. And they were all about to get comfy—the their-guard-is-up-yet-they-are-comfy kind of comfy—when a new presence's voice made their backs stiffen.

"Gon-kun."


	25. Zephyr

**A/N: **This is the part where I apologize for such a long wait because of School, Procrastination, Different Fandom, Lack of Computer to Use, Lack of Computer Time, Laziness, and Unproductivity.

This is also the part where I'll say I regret changing the plot, but heck, what can I do now?

*Note: The names mentioned below are perfectly random, out of my head. If you guys know what they mean, tell me. Because this is what I call the midnight-creativity. (It's 11:52pm here.)

Sorry for the lack of proofread. I'll do it tomorrow. P:

**OWC: **3,072 words

**Disclaimer; **HxH is owned by Togashi.

* * *

**Chapter 25:**

**Zephyr  
**

* * *

"Gon-kun."

All their heads turned around warily to the new voice. They were all worried that the cold voice was Illumi—and they all subconsciously edged toward Gon, the thought similar in their minds: 'No one must touch him.'

Gon had a different reaction, though—he brightened up, as if he had already seen Killua. "You're the man from the phone!" Gon greeted the newcomer, recognizing him. His voice was high-pitched, and a little too joyful. How Gon recognized the man through his voice (especially since Gon only heard him once through a muffled telephone conversation) was something unthinkable for Akane, Kurapika and Leorio, so they didn't bother to ask.

They turned their heads to a man dressed in formal attire, all in black. He bowed politely to them, the four 'guests' of the Zaoldyeck mansion. (Whether that was good or bad, they couldn't tell.) Polite he seemed to be, but under that very gentlemanly layer and that pretty face lay one of the most treacherous, cheating personalities.

But no one knew that, of course.

"I'm Zephyr," he said, murmuring as he introduced himself, still bowing low to the guests. "But sadly, I'm not the butler; I'm not the one who answered the call. But—that matter aside—I suppose you are the friends of Master Killua?"

Gon had this 'shock' look on his face. "Oh… you're not? But your voice sound alike!" After a few seconds of pouting, he went on to introduce. "I'm Gon Freecs, and this is Kurapika, this is Leorio—"

"Listen," Leorio cut him off. "We're very very honoured to meet you, the head butler of the famous assassin clan, but we are in some kind of rush here, and we just want to see Killua fast…"

"In a rush?" Zephyr asked, before finally slouching on the couch opposite them. His long, light-brown hair fell down gracefully, shadowing his eyes. All his formality went down the drain when he slouched there as if he was at home—he was , really, anyway—and lay there on the couch carelessly, like he was a kid. "What's the big idea? You've just gotten in to the place as far as you can go on Zaoldyeck territory. So why are you hurrying?" He brushed his bangs off his face and smugly winked at Akane. "Not all people get this far."

Akane shuddered with the gesture; and with that she hugged herself, in an attempt to cover up her bare arms. Kurapika saw this motion, and defensively took a little spot in front of her, trying to defend her.

"What? Do I make you feel uncomfortable? It's not like I'm gonna kill you or something. I have no right to. 'Lumi just sent me here. It's not like he told me to stab you and get you the hell out of here. I'm just here to keep you company…" Zephyr ranted, cleaning out his nails, taking out the little bits of dirt that snuck between them. He absentmindedly twiddled with his hair after that, his hazel eyes looking at the chandelier that was lit above them.

Zephyr continued to murmur to himself. "I could've run away too, you know. But I like this place so much. It's so great, so grand. I wonder what made 'Lua run off. He had—has—everything he could ever want. He even gets all of this when he grows up since he's the heir. I mean, who gets something like that every day? If I was in his place… geez. It's not like they're making him pay that much a price…"

Now Akane was confused. Everything that the Zephyr person said made her more perplexed about the situation. More than that, he calls Killua and Illumi like they were friends—the rest of the people they met in the Zaoldyeck territory always added a '-sama' at the end of the Masters' names. But here… here Zephyr was calling them informally, in pet names, even.

_Aww come on. 'Lua and 'Lumi?_

"You talk about them like you're friends. You talk about this place like it isn't hell. What are you, who are you in this place? You're different from the others," she stated, and asked. She waited for an answer, waiting as Zephyr finished eating his apple.

Everybody became tense and serious. Zephyr put down the knife he used to cut the apple and put down the apple on a plate. He didn't sit up—he still was on that comfortable lying position. He turned to Akane with laughing eyes, oddly enough.

"You're fast, girl. I like you. How old are you, and what's your name?"

Akane was vexed at his calm, playful demeanor. She asked him a question, and he only responds with that. _'How old are you, and what's your name?' That jerk! What gives him the right to talk like that? HECK! She clenched her hands to fists _

"I'm Akane, and I'm 16. And I don't give a damn if you like me or not," she said, with that 'harrumph' tone in her voice. She also had that implied 'I-hate-you-and-I'd-hurt-you-and-whack-you-till-you-bleed-so-don't-get-anywhere-near-me' message in the glare she sent out to him.

Instead of shrugging away from her, Zephyr just smiled and even chuckled at her response. "That makes me like you even more. You're a fighter, a strong girl. I bet you dragged your friends into this mess, hmm? Very nice. Now I see what he sees in you."

Zephyr just dragged Akane back to the confusion stage of the argument. "He? Who's he?" Akane asked, a little frantically, like she was desperate to know who.

"I won't tell you~" Zephyr murmured, and snickered so much like how Hisoka does, Akane couldn't help but shiver. This action made Kurapika and Leorio tense; it made Zephyr just laugh harder.

"What are you, her protective barrier? Let her loose, boys. Can't you see there's a lioness in her, fraught to get out of that cage you're tying her into? If she wants to fight back, let her to. That's the only way she'll learn." Zephyr stared at Kurapika and Leorio, who stared at Akane, before they finally backed away from her a little bit to give her some room to breathe.

"Now that's better," Zephyr said with a Gon-like grin. "Now, let's get to know each other…"

* * *

"Wake up, idiot."

Milluki hit Killua with the whip, and he was instantly awake. Killua took in the surroundings—the gray brick wall, the machine that was fastened to the wall controlling the electric volts that pierced him several times, the chains that strapped him to the ceiling and floor, the door that seemed too far away.

And finally, his older brother, obese and with thin, slit eyes, with eyebags falling underneath.

"Oh, good morning, brother. Didn't think morning would come by fast."

Milluki just whipped him again. "Don't talk to me like that," he hissed angrily, as angrily as a pig could get. "Get down there, Grandpa Zeno is waiting for you in the corridor."

"In the corridor?" Killua asked, mostly to himself, as he plucked himself off the chains that bound him. What an odd place to meet. Old man really got some fancy taste.

Killua went down on the floor, slowly stretching his painful, cramping arms and legs. He had stayed in that position for more than at least two days, after all. He felt the heat rush back into their proper places as he stretched every painful muscle, as every nerve ending jolted back to life.

"Well, I'll be leaving you now, bro," he said carelessly, flipping his silver hair carelessly back into its place as he got into a thick black turtleneck. He put his hands into the pockets of his navy blue shorts, before finally walking out.

He was barefoot, but he didn't mind the pain as the wounds on the soles of his feet opened up again. He walked up the stone stairs of the underground torture chamber, and opened with a loud bang the steel door as he pushed it back to the edge, the farthest it could go. He closed it with a steely thud as well.

He turned around to see his grandfather leaning on the opposite wall. He looked up upon sensing Killua's stare.

"Ahh, he's awaken you, finally. Get ready; you're going to the butler's quarters."

Killua raised an eyebrow. "The Butlers' quarters?"

Zeno nodded. "Yes, the Quarters. I've sent your friends there. You clean up and go there; I've asked for them to fix up your things."

"But Mother and Father—" Killua started, but he never managed to finish.

Zeno pushed him off. "I've talked to your Father. It seems I won't be able to make a move with your mother. But that's not what you have to worry about right now."

Killua cocked his head to the side. "If you've bothered with them, then what is it I have to worry about?"

"It's Zephyr."

And with that, Killua ran; he was barefoot, but he didn't mind the pain of the wounds in his soles opening up again because it didn't equate to the pain he felt in his head and heart when he learned about Zephyr.

He knew Zephyr; Zephyr would do anything to help Killua. Anything to make him stay.

Zephyr would do anything to hurt Killua's friends.

* * *

"_Gemma!" Zephyr shouted, running around the lawn as happy as his 14-year-old self could. The sky was blue and the clouds were white, the sun was shining, and it was a happy day._

"_Didn't I tell you to call me __**Gemmais? **__That's my full name! And that's how I like to be called!" his younger sister, aged 13, screamed to him from the spot where she was watering the flowers._

_He put out his tongue. "It's just because _he _called you that! But your name is Gemma! It's in the school record. Gemma Dea. What kind of person wants to be called Gemmais?" He fell down on his back on the grass, breathing in the soft scent of spring._

"_I want to be called __**Gemmais. **__Because it's a beautiful name! And I like it that way, Zephyrus," she said, a little teasingly. "It's fun to have these mysterious, unusual names, don't you think? That's why we have to make the best of it. So I'm Gemmais!"_

_Zephyr pouted. "Whatever. I'm happy with my nickname. Zephyr is enough, and Zephyrus is one syllable too many. Okay? Go and dream about that _Killua _person. I doubt he even exists."_

"_Oh you're just a jealous freak, Zephyrus. And I don't really care what you say. Whatever. He said he'll visit me today~ isn't that so sweet?" Gemma twirled around the garden. "I can't believe he's only five. He's so cuuute!" Gemma made a puppy-dog face that made Zephyr's stomach spin._

_Then, she plummeted to the grass below, sighing his name ever so softly: "Killua~"_

"_Eeww, you're such a pedo, Gemma. What is wrong with you?" Zephyr rolled in the grass, inhaling the scent. "Sometimes I wish I had a normal younger sister instead."_

_Gemma elbowed him. "Urk, you have little taste. What don't you find interesting in him? He has dark eyes, light hair, pale skin; it's like, everything that you're looking for in a girl, right? Maybe he has a sister. Go ask him later."_

"_Like I will!" Zephyr insisted, rolling even farther away from her sister. "I won't touch that little _baby _of yours, you disgusting maniac!"_

_Gemma stood up, getting the watering can to splash it to her brother's face. "You deserve that! You have little respect. BLEH!" She put her tongue out and rushed inside the house._

_In a few minutes, Zephyr—who was still on the grass, wet like a newly-hatched chick—heard the bell on their front door ring. He supposed it was that Killua person after he heard her sister's squeal._

_He didn't stand up—he wasn't going to touch that 'baby' of her sister in anyway. He didn't want to look him in the eye. Because he had seen what happened to his sister, he didn't want that happen to him as well._

_He just looked up at the sky, watching as the clouds took on different shapes of different sizes. Everything was silent—a little too silent, he thought. But he just lay there, still._

_The bells that hung from the back door to the garden tingled. He lifted his head an inch to see who was coming through—if it was that Killua boy, he'd dash to the forest behind him._

_But it was his sister, bleeding with a cut on her throat, crawling, stumbling over to him, down the three steps that led to the grass. She sprawled on the grass, her blood spilling over, tainting it red. _

_He immediately rushed to her, and he screamed. "Gemma? Gemma! Gemma wake up! Gemma!" He didn't know what to do, even if he was older than her. It had always seemed that she was older than him in the mind. Now he was panicking, and she couldn't do anything to soothe him._

_Tears gushed down from his eyes as he took his sister in his arms. "Gemmais, Gemmais… come on, wake up… please…"_

"_Zephyrus… run… out… kill…"_

_He stopped, in the middle of a hiccup, when he heard his sister's voice. He looked down at her, her almost gold eyes watery with tears, her face smudged with a scary amount of blood. Her eyes were pleading, begging. _

_She raised a bloodied hand to caress his cheek. "Run… Zephyr… He'll… kill… you…"_

_Her voice was so soft and what she was saying as incoherent. He couldn't understand her, he could barely catch her last words._

_But he did._

"_Sorry… goodbye."_

_With that, she breathed, and her spirit let go of her even if her eyes were still magnificently open. She had a gentle, painful smile on her face. _

_Zephyr took his sister in his arms and sobbed through her fine brown strands of hair. From inside the house, he could hear a female scream—he thought it might be his mother. In a while, he knew he'll hear the heavy , deep voice of his father. But he knew his father will fight first, before he screams._

_But it would still end the same way, he knew. They'll still both die._

_He wanted to run away, to save his own life, but he couldn't leave his sister. Saving his life seemed to be the least of his problems—he wanted to keep the house, he wanted to bury his parents, he wanted to be with his sister for a few more minutes. He wanted time to stop for a few moments—the 14-year-old's mind was still too shaken up to think straight._

_Finally, he came. The little five-year-old came out the back door, where his purplish eyes bore into Zephyr's hazel-ish ones. He didn't smile, he didn't frown—he had a blank expression. Slowly, step-by-step, he went down to the grass where Zephyr sat with his sister's head on his lap._

"_You… how could you? You're a kid! How could you?" Zephyr asked, a little angrily at the kid. But he was more surprised than angry, and he had no space to think about it. His words just flowed out as tears started to choke him._

_The kid, meanwhile, just stared at him. His eyes were wide, his white shirt soiled into the beautifully horrifying crimson shade of blood. If anything, Zephyr would've sworn the kid had smiled at him first before the he spoke to him._

"_Let's play."

* * *

_

"Let's play a treasure hunt game."

Zephyr was juggling a few coins with both his hands, and he was already standing up. Akane, Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon watched him warily.

"It's simple. I'll hide these five coins, and you'll have to search for them. If you can't find all of them before Killua enters the main door of the Butlers' Quarters, I'll take care of you and just tell 'Lua you all left. It's that simple."

Akane had a weird feeling for that 'I'll take care of you' statement, but she just brushed it off.

"Now all of you face the wall!" Zephyr said, raising his arms to the statement as if he was conducting an orchestra. All of them did, voluntarily, with Akane thinking that the only orchestra this man was playing was of DOOM.

Tick, Tock. Tick, Tock. The clock on the wall ticked as Zephyr hummed, running back and forth from room to room, hiding the five special coins.

He had shown them the coins earlier; they were gold coins laden with platinum on the sides, marked with his last name in the center: Dea. There were intricate designs with numerous flower and vine patterns circling the 2-inch in diameter coins, and it was really special.

"Turn around now!" He said, and they all did. Zephyr no longer had the five coins in his hands, and he bowed with a grand smile. "There. Timer starts now, and until Killua comes. I'm guessing that's in 20 minutes."

_20 minutes? _ Akane thought. _That's an awful long time to make us hunt five coins. _Then, she remembered the size of the Quarters and changed her mind about the situation.

"I'll go to the east one," Akane said, pointing at the corridor going right way. "Gon, you go to the north one, Leorio, the south, and Kurapika, the west. We'll meet here in 10 minutes then we switch so that it's fresh eyes, got it?" she said, obviously making all the planning.

Her other teammates nodded, and they took their separate paths, Zephyr nodding a little gleefully as he watched them go.

Akane walked, exploring room to room, as comprehensively and quickly as she could. She looked at all nooks and crannies of every room, but there seemed to be no end to it. Every room was clean; immaculately clean, even.

She walked the carpet floors of the eastern corridor, when suddenly she heard shuffling from a room near her. She turned, and from within the shadows of a room, she saw two pairs of eyes peeping, looking at her.

At first she was terrified, but when a thin hand threw three coins at her, she became a little less creeped out than earlier. She walked nearer the door, to pick up the coins, before finally coming near the door.

"Who are you?"


	26. Lullabies

Sorry I couldn't update any sooner. Artist's block and running out of inspiration caused so much delay. I hope you enjoy this though. :D

Special mention to "KiGaMi", a.k.a "Yui-chan" because she helped me with the translation to French thingy :P

**HxH (c) Yoshihiro Togashi**

**OWC: 3,240 words**

* * *

**Chapter 26:**

**~Lullabies~**

* * *

"Where are you going, Killua?"

Truth be told, Killua did not want to turn around to check who had called him. He just wanted to keep running, but he still did. After realizing who he had turned his face to for an unwelcome conversation, he felt his face turn pale, and he started to regret his actions.

Of all people! He cussed angrily in his head. He fully turned to face his older brother who was smiling at him in an eerie kind of way. "What do you want, Illumi?" Killua asked, running low on patience. The last word even came out like a hiss.

"I'm just asking," Illumi said, and he took a step closer toward Killua. One, two. His long ebony hair swayed with his movement. The air surrounding him was very teasingly…bloodthirsty. "You know, you haven't been here in a while…"

Killua tensed, knowing that somewhere along their conversation they would have some sort of hand-to-hand assassin combat. And he had to prepare. He glared at Illumi and answered, although a little hesitatingly, "To the Butler's Quarters. Why?"

Illumi smirked, and it made an involuntary shiver run down Killua's spine, threatening to break his resolve. "Do you mean to your friends? Oh don't worry, Killua. Zephyr is keeping them busy, they won't get bored."

Killua, trying his best to keep a cool visage, narrowed his eyes toward his older brother and said, in a low, predatory-like voice, "I don't want to keep them waiting. Zephyr plays boring games. I might as well save them the misery. I will go." He turned his back again, and was about to make a mad dash when he felt a cold hand twine around his hurting wrist.

His left wrist was a little bit swollen. He had been chained to the wall for days on end, after all, so they were bound to swell. Not that he minded it much—he was getting used to pain, after years of endless, (needless?) torture. But the feeling of his brother's hand constricting around it tightly made the pain feel worse.

He felt so broken at that moment.

For just a single second.

He wrenched his wrist free—of course, ignoring that sting of sudden hurt that came with it—and pulled away from his brother. He glowered at him angrily. "I said I'm going. I'm _going._" He tried hard to push his brother away before stomping angrily back to the open exit.

"No, Killua, not yet," Illumi said, and suddenly he was in front of Killua once more. Killua put on a very defiant stare at Illumi, but he did not budge. Instead, he smirked, and soon he had closed the gap between them.

"_Not yet."_

* * *

Akane knelt down, reaching slightly down as she took the coins. The hand retreated in the dark of the room, but the crimson eyes still glinted in the darkness a little sinisterly. She pocketed the three coins and asked (the kid?) once more—"Who are you?"

But the kid did not move. Akane madea move to extend an arm, when suddenly a hand extended from the darkness. As a pale, childlike hand grasped Akane's hand tightly, pictures—memories—started to flood Akane's mind.

It was a daytime scene, where a little girl with purple hair and braids wearing a white dress reached out to touch a flower. Although Akane didn't recognize the flower, she realized it was beautiful and purple, and it even had dew on it. And as the girl touched a petal, the butterfly that used to sit there fluttered over to the fingers of the little girl. As the scenery changed to a nighttime one, the little girl faded into the background as she was being shadowed and enveloped in an embrace by a man with long black hair and piercing onyx eyes, who wore his same emotionless glance.

Just as the name 'Illumi' was about to prick Akane's mind, the hand flinched and moved away from her hand like it had just touched a flaming thing. Akane blinked, and more braver/curious than ever, she crawled inside the door a little tensely.

There she saw a kid, probably 9 or 10 years old, wearing a loose and too big green sweater. He had purple hair (that had the same spiky feature as Killua's, if a little tamer) and red eyes. Akane went in even more, and the kid visibly tensed.

She asked for a name, but the kid did not respond. Akane noted the very feminine features, almost resembling Kurapika in a level of femininity. The kid reached a hand out once more, to touch Akane's shoulder. Again, something seemed to take over Akane's brain—the color purple, almost indigo-like, and Akane did not understand. The word—_Anil, _which was a misspelled 'indigo' in Spanish—flashed in her subconscious and then the illusions faded altogether.

"_Anil?"_ Akane asked, and the kid nodded. Then, she noticed the silence. "Why… don't you talk?"

The child—who Akane finally concluded as male, because of the tiny adam's apple—put his thumb and pointer finger together, like when holding a zipper, and ran it across between his upper and lower lips, like closing it.

Misunderstanding, Akane asked with a baffled voice: "You don't want to talk?"

The child shook his head and tried once more. He pointed at his throat, and then shook his head vigorously.

"You… _can't_ talk?" Akane offered, and he finally nodded. Noticing yet another missing detail, she asked _Anil _once more. "But that little girl… is she—"

She was stopped, because the little boy had grasped her by her shoulders with a frantic look on his girly face. He sent images to her once again, and there she was deeply moved. The first image was of two babies, still tied by their umbilical cords, with a tiny shimmering golden circle in between their clasped hands. The baby, the smaller one, took that circle and pushed it in its body, where it went up and to the throat. The next picture was of a girl, with long purple wavy hair and red eyes, smiling a big smile. She was probably 6 years old. The next picture was of Zephyr, extending his hands as that same girl came rushing to him for a hug. The final picture haunted Akane the most, however, since Zephyr's appearance started to change and his hair became long and black, his eyes turned black, and his smile turned into a cold stare. The picture shifted as Zephyr's playful chokehold to the girl became a very nasty and dangerous neck-hold by Illumi, the girl's face changing from laughing in enjoyment to terrified as hell.

When Akane pulled away and finally came back to her senses, the boy was already in tears. Akane embraced him in an attempt to give comfort and strength. But the little boy wriggled away from her, and instead faced her, as if begging for attention.

He tried to speak, but no sound came out of his lips. So Akane tried to lip-read. In the first word, his tongue flicked from beneath his front upper teeth to the back of his mouth. In the second word, his tongue circled from behind his upper row of teeth to below, and up again, and made a look like a smile with an open mouth. For the third word, the middle of this tongue touched the roof of his mouth, and then flexed to some sort of lopsided grin as its tip flicked from behind the top teeth to below. The fourth word, his lips came close and opened once, where the sides of his tongue got caught on the sides at his molars. The fifth word was the big smile once more, with his tongue behind his upper teeth as he blew air, making a successful hissing sound. The sixth and last word started with his tongue up at the middle of the roof of his mouth, and then his tongue went up and down, and then back on his upper molars, before it finally coiled in the deep of his mouth.

Akane, however hard it may have seemed in the start, managed to—for some great blessing from the high above—understand, and with it she was even more moved to _help _them.

_The lonely / caged bird / is crying._

She was familiar with that poem-phrase. She knew she had first read that in a book where a little girl had a very beautiful voice. The prince of the palace asked his father that he take her as his wife. But she fervently declined, and soon the king, not wanting to disappoint his son, had to arrest her. But she denied to be brought to the sleeping chambers of the prince, so she was sent to the dungeon. Every day, she'd sing a sorrowful song, and the king fell in love with her in a while. Out of greed he killed his son and wife, and the kingdom perished. But the kept the girl captive for so long after that—since she did not agree to be brought to the chambers once more—until all she did was cry, and she could not sing. The kind, displeased of her, ordered her dead as well. Gone was her voice, all out of greed. A few days later, a messenger angel revived the girl, but as a bird. The bird fluttered happily in the king's uncared-for rose garden, twittering ever so happily. The king learned his lesson at that very moment.

_Is this what you're telling me, Anil? _Akane thought. She cast a glance at the boy who was still deep in tears, and even though he did not utter a word, his eyes said everything needed to be said.

_Save her, sister…_

And Akane took him in a comforting embrace, which he snuggled deep into, promising to herself and him that she will.

* * *

The other three had been waiting for her in the lobby where they first say. Zephyr was sitting—maybe _slouching _would be a better term—on his couch once again, eating another apple. While the others did not take notice of that, Leorio seemed to be very confused about Zephyr's actions.

"What's wrong with that kid? Isn't that, like, the fifth apple he's eaten since we arrived?" Leorio asked, a little frantically even.

"That doesn't _matter, _Leorio," Kurapika said, as he flipped his coin up in the air to catch it again. "I mean, Akane's... not even here yet. And you're busy wondering about an **apple?**_"_

Gon ignored them, gripping his coin so hard in his palm that it had already left a mark. His eyes pricked up as he heard more and more noises from the corridor where Leorio was, but he did not make so much of a move yet. He was thinking, but at that time he simply couldn't.

"You know what, since you care so much, why don't you go to the eastern corridor and search for her, hmm?" Leorio asked, daring Kurapika to. "I trust her and I'll stay here. If you two get into a kind of an MCF, I'm not going to help you!"

Kurapika's right eyebrow twitched. "MCF? What's that?"

"A married couple fight, of course! Now go save your _wifey_ now, won't you, Kurapika?" Leorio taunted him.

Gon turned around at that very moment to say something when Kurapika's rock-fist met Leorio's soft head. As Leorio curled in a corner holding his throbbing head, Gon handed his coin to Kurapika.

"Kurapika, can you hold this for a sec? I need to look at something first," he said, and pushed the heavy coin in Kurapika's palm. Kurapika took it and watched Gon run off, to the southern corridor where Leorio had first gone into.

As Kurapika went back to his leaning position by the wall, Zephyr finally dropped his apple. He laughed a little, and it easily earned Kurapika's attention. As Kurapika stared at Zephyr, through-and-through, with criticizing eyes, Zephyr just continued to laugh, almost hysterically at that point.

"What are you laughing about?" Kurapika finally asked, and Zephyr looked at him with a smile still written all over his face.

Zephyr rolled in the sofa to face Kurapika. "Oh, it's just Gon. I mean... you have no plan on following him, do you?"

"No, I don't," Kurapika answered, narrowing his eyes at the older boy. "Why?"

"If I were you, Kurapika, I'd be on my way running toward Gon _at this very moment,_" Zephyr said, taking the apple back in his hand and twirling it around. Kurapika waited as Zephyr popped a piece into his mouth and chewed. "Do you know why I would run to Gon?"

Kurapika shook his head. "I don't."

"I would be running to Gon right now," Zephyr said, grinning, "if I didn't want him to meet Illumi at the wrong time."

And with that, Kurapika had dropped the coins on the glass table and ran through the south corridor, shouting a certain special 12-year-old's name.

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

As Gon walked further into the length of the winding corridor, the dripping noise caught by his sharp ears gradually became louder. He listened, and while listening he walked deeper and deeper into the corridor. The corridor started to seemingly 'change,' and the painted walls became tattered wallpapers, wet and ripped off the wall; the wooden floor became old cobblestone that were gray and red. Gon felt like he was traveling time.

But as Gon walked deeper into the darkness, his reason for actually coming became even more distinct. And unlike what Kurapika had thought he was doing, he wasn't paying attention to little golden coins that might have been missed by his older friend.

He listened, and in the midst of the dripping, he heard a song.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

_« Il y a des roses_  
_et des nuits de printemps froides_  
_Mais il n'y a rien d'autre que l'obscurité_  
_Dans ses yeux noirs._

_Dans cette prison,_  
_Je chanterai à toi  
A lui et aux autres,_  
_Jusqu'à ce qu'il me laissent partir._

_Je chanterai_  
_Jusqu'à ce que ma gorge se dessèche_  
_Jusqu'à ce que je sois à court de mots_  
_Dans cette tristesse. »_

_Drip. Drip. __Drip. Drip._

It was _certainly _the voice of an angel.

That much Gon had concluded right. He wondered who was singing, and why she was singing. And why such a dreadful sounding song? She had a beautiful voice, very feminine and soft and like a sweet baby's lullaby, although it had such a haunting and sorrowful tune.

Like... she was begging for mercy, crying that she not be killed.

_Drip__. Drip. Drip. Drip._

_(There are roses_  
_and cold spring nights_  
_But there's nothing but the darkness_  
_And his black eyes_

_In this prison,_  
_I'll sing to you,_  
_To him and to others, until_  
_They let me go._

_I'll sing until_  
_My throat dries up_  
_Until I have ran out of words_  
_In this sadness.)_

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

And then he heard something else—someone shouting at him from where he had been, but he did not take notice as he pushed open a wooden maple-wood door at which stood at the end of the corridor.

It was dark in the room he had entered, and he realized its walls were made of stone. It was _really _old stone, like the kind of stone that people used to use in dungeons in the olden time castles. Gon ran a hand across it, feeling its texture, and he realized it was really cold. He noticed the air had become humid, too. He walked deeper inside, and he noticed there was yet another tunnel, and light was at its farthest end.

Called by the light, he continued to walk, ignoring Kurapika's shouts calling his name from a distance back. He felt his boots splash into accumulated water. In the darkness he heard squeaks of little rats as they ran around by his feet. As he started to feel the hairs on the back of his neck raise in fear, he heard a very familiar voice.

"Gon!"

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Killua!" Gon answered back, relieved that his best friend _was _safe, after all. "Where are you?"

He started to run, run toward the light where he thought Killua was, since the voice seemed to have come from there. (But the sound was bound to bounce around the room, after all, since it was a closed space where echoes can rebound back toward him.) Gon's boots splish-splashed down the wet floor.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Gon, don't!" Killua shouted, and his voice echoed and bounced in the stone walls. Gon became a little disoriented, and he stopped. "Don't! Stay where you are! Don't come here, Gon! DON'T!"

Listening intently he swore he'd heard Killua's voice struggle in speaking, but he did not pay attention and passed it off as a part of his imagination. (He had an imaginative mind, after all.) He took a tentative step forward before he finally took notice of the individual behind him, who had already reached out a long and tender, almost feminine finger, with a long nail, by his neck. Soft and smooth strands of hair, well-cared for, fell down to Gon's shoulders, but it wasn't his.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Hello, Gon."


	27. Rescue Mission

**A/N**: I am SO SO SORRY for the late updates. I simply could not find the inspiration and now that I did, I hope I did a good enough job for all you readers who appreciated my effort in this fanfiction. My schedule and workload and lack of inspiration just did not make regular writing possible the past five months I have been idle here in this fandom. But, now I hope I can make it up to you.

I appreciate any review/opinion/criticism; I want to know what you think of my writing skills or the story itself. Now, I won't keep you too long, thank you for the time! Akane loves you all.

**Disclaimer**: Hunter X Hunter (c) Yoshihiro Togashi

**OWC: **4,876 O_O

* * *

**RESCUE MI****SSION**

* * *

"YOU WON'T LAY A HAND ON GON!"

Her head was spinning, and she felt her knees buckle underneath her. Somehow, she couldn't piece the events together. Everything was mashed up like scrambled eggs in a pan. There was an echo of her old thoughts ringing in her mind, promises that she didn't quite fulfil completely. Something strong caught her before she met with the floor however, and suddenly the blackness enveloped her. The thumping in her skull became louder, and she didn't know what to do. The scream that lingered in her throat started to fade into a soft murmur and tiny cussing as she saw the dark.

"I WON'T LET YOU!"

She could hear her voice but how she could was out of her bounds. She passed it off as maybe a memory that decided to stay and be her companion. She blocked off the thought and listened, listened so hard until finally she realized the thumping had the same rhythm as her heartbeat. It was frantic; it turned even more frantic than earlier. She wondered if she passed out. She wondered if she was dead.

"DON'T TOUCH THEM! I WILL NOT LET YOU LAY A SINGLE ONE OF YOUR DIRTY FINGERS ON THEM!"

A different voice went on and went to work with her against the enemy. The warmth was flowing out, and so was her energy, even if she wasn't doing anything. She fisted her right hand that was clutching her hurting head, and she felt it turn sticky, really sticky that it irked her. The smell of iron permeated her senses and she crunched her nose in annoyance. She did not like the smell, and the pain was bad as well. It attacked her like knives stabbing through her entire back, from the top right on her shoulder, to the bottom left by her waist. It was a diagonal line from hell of nothing but utter pain. She wanted to scream, but everything that was in her throat was eaten away by the ugliness of that preview of death that stood behind her.

"AKANE!"

The voice seemed real, all of a sudden. She did not know if she was floating in reality or in a dream. Something hard hit her right side and she felt herself fall on something cold, cold like cement in an underground dungeon. Thoughts were starting to disappear from her, and her throat felt like it was closing.

The thumping started to decline, only a tiny "thump-thump-thump" remained, only one rhythm and not ten. She felt better, but she did not know if it was for the better.

* * *

Akane very much hated fights. But somehow, she always ended up being in one. She knew for a fact that in the handful of fights she'd gotten in the recent past, she'd always hate them and even despise them in the rest of her life. She had learned those hardest lessons when she fought twice in the Hunter Exam. But it wasn't the physical damage that was almost always inflicted on her that made her dislike fights and fighting so much. Physical damage was something relatively bearable to her. She could manage with them, since her strong will—otherwise known as stubbornness, as Killua said—somehow made her just want to keep pushing on. Wounds and scratches and bleeding were nothing, but the psychological shakings (and emotional trouble) that it always brought along was the one that actually managed to hurt her worse.

She admitted once (if more to herself) that she was really sensitive about life and death matters. She knew how hard that would be a barrier to her at times where she needed to rise and use violence, but she stuck to her morals and she promised herself she would not kill unless needed and the result will be used for the greater good. The reactions she got were interesting—Killua scoffed at her remark, Gon smiled warmly at her, Leorio adjusted his sunglasses noiselessly, and Kurapika remained cold and unresponsive.

Cold. She hugged her shoulders, feeling the warmth that stayed in her hands with all the rubbing she'd done to get them heated up with friction. Physically, she wasn't that cold—she was shivering a little, but she knew better than to blame to faulty air conditioning units in the Butler's Quarters. She knew what kind of cold she was feeling, and she knew that the cold was familiar. A cold that made her shiver to the bone. It was emotional, mental even, and Akane loathed every single second she spent with that cold twining of fear that wrapped inside her heart.

"Hey Akane. I suppose you've found the other three coins?"

Akane twirled around to face Zephyr, her thoughts broken up, much to her relief. Zephyr's light-brown hair was wild and uncombed, and he was looking at her with a really comfy look and smile as she stared at him. She had an inquiring look on her ocean blue eyes as she looked intently into Zephyr's hazel ones. Zephyr was smart enough to catch the underlying question, and proceeded in answering it despite it remained having unsaid.

"Oh. They're over there. The southern corridor," Zephyr said nonchalantly. He stretched out an expecting arm. "So…? Where are my coins?"

Akane couldn't care less. She tossed the three heavy golden coins to him, and he caught them agilely. Zephyr started to wonder why she had not spoken a single word to him, and why she decided to be like that. He stared at her curiously. She was looking—no, glaring would be a better term for it—at the dark recesses of the southern corridor with suspicious eyes. He couldn't read her thoughts to the word, but he had a good idea on what those thoughts might be.

"You don't need to get messed up in the bad fight," he said, and its caring tone immediately caught Akane's attention. She narrowed her eyes every so lightly at his words, but she wanted him to continue.

"How do you know this?" she asked, not really clarifying on what 'this' is.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I just know. I'm going to be leaving in a while to watch the show anyway." He grinned, but Akane couldn't tell why he did. "Do you know how much I love the colour of blood, little girl?" He snickered. "The colour of fresh, sticky, warm blood… I heard a lot of stories that you and your people… your eyes take on the colour of that when you are brought to dwell into 'heavy' emotions like sadness and anger, right?"

Akane glared at him, her left eyebrow twitching in irritation. How come he knew when somehow she wasn't so sure herself? How can people know her better than herself? Her hesitation masked by a voice low and threatening and angry, she murmured, "So you know."

Zephyr suddenly broke into a cackle which was very odd to see in a man dressed like him. Somehow he saw through her. "And you don't? You, little girl, are a hilarious joke. You're pathetic and helpless! What kind of lie have you been living since your birth?"

Akane felt downgraded. She looked at Zephyr's laughter and she wanted to sob and cry—right there and then. She could pass it off as a regular teenager kind of mood swing, but no. She knew and saw the truth in his words, and she couldn't face it. He put it so bluntly in front of her, and she felt like the grand piano of truth was carried into the air by a crane of consequences, and it just hit her head-on.

For the first time of her life, she felt like she would not survive the collision.

But she held fast. She held fast and stayed strong. She remembered Anil. Anil and his sister and the promise she had made to him without words. It helped her get a hold of herself. She settled everything that had messed up her brain for a few long seconds in a single breath. She closed her eyes and with a deep frustrated sigh, she let go of all the mental and emotional strain that Zephyr had ever so politely handed to her in four sentences.

"Yes. So I **HAVE** been living a lie. At least I know that I already want to stop lying. Unlike _**you**_," she said, stressing the final word. "I can fight a battle. I will fight a battle for them, if I have to." He looked up to her to see if she was joking, but a thin smile had already made its way on her face. "So show me all that you've got, Zephyr. Bring it on."

Zephyr closed his own eyes, a sadistic grin appearing on his lips as he made a sarcastic bow of courtesy to her. "You've got my word for that."

And then Akane ran. She ran across the corridor, hearing the thump-thump-thump of her shoes hitting the cobblestone floors (When did it change? she wondered) and her heart, bearing the same sound, albeit a bit faster. With a quick jerking of her hand, she successfully grabbed a thick rubber band from her pants' pocket and tied her hair. For some reason, she realized as she started to rush, she had actually believed Zephyr's every single uttered word. She frowned at her gullibility—and promised to herself that she wouldn't do that anymore.

The first thing that had caught her attention was the constant thick dripping of some kind of liquid to the floor, the sound echoing in the walls that started to shrink from being part of a grand quarters to a tunnel like in a mountain. It sounded like blood that fell from the crevices in the ceiling… or maybe something hanging from the ceiling. Akane wondered if she was going underground, deeper into the soil and earth of the famed Kukuru mountain. She wondered…if she went deeper underground their _lair_, would she be able to see into the hearts of the Zaoldyecks better?

She wondered, what truth was hiding behind that thick face of deceit of the one named Illumi? She had taken a rare, different interest in him, not in the romantic way but in the way that one would like to learn of one's opponents. What was that thing about his older brother that made Killua—the oh-so-fearsome and awesome Killua that Akane knew from the Hunter Exam—fear him so much? What could he do?

Somehow, Akane wanted to know but she didn't want to know. There was a bad, angry thumping in her chest as she thought merely about him. His eyes, his long hair, his pale skin. That murderous stare in his empty eyes. That sudden moment, she felt like a bird he held, suffocating, _dying, _in his hand. What more could she do?

And then she reached the end of the corridor. And at that end, there stood a giant maple-wood door that was probably thrice her height. There were nightingales and jasmines carved onto its frame, and she wondered what they meant. With all her might, she pushed the doors open—it was already slightly ajar—and she gasped at the sight she saw.

This couldn't be good.

* * *

"Illumi."

His voice, no matter how strong and sure it sounded, was laden with slight ripples of infinite fear. His hands, tiny and shaking and trembling, betrayed what he really felt inside. And although his eyes shone with bravery in its every hue, his anxious nibbling of his lower lip and the shivering of his legs showed what he really felt inside.

Fear.

An echo of silent, hushed murmurs filled the room. Was that a familiar 12-year-old voice screaming_ "Gon! Gon! Don't!" _even when he was held down by a trance? Gon could imagine the agony and he winced. His best friend stood there; sweat pooling in pearlescent drops across his scarred, aching body; blood racing to his head as he used all his physical strength against something much, must _stronger_ than physical 'magic.' Pitiful. They were both fighting something they could not beat.

At least, that was what the panicking Killua believed.

The long finger with sharp nails felt like ice against his burning neck. "And so you're here to… _save_ my younger brother, am I right?"

Gon gulped. Did his saliva taste of fear, too? He knew it was too dangerous to show fear in front of an enemy like Illumi—Killua's older brother, of all people—and he narrowed his eyes, trying to look angry. He felt the keratin blades dig a shallow trench through his skin and draw blood. He tensed his muscles. He wasn't going to give up in the middle of a fight like this.

"I'll save him from your hands," Gon said, trying his best to remain calm despite that doubt nibbling at the tips of his voice. "You have no right to tell him what he is to be. That is his decision. You can't force him…"

Gon actually had so much more to say than that. If anything, he was close to tears and ranting about his joyous anger toward Illumi. But he was stopped by the strangled choking noises from the far end of the room. He barely managed to stop that lame tear that tried its best to squiggle its way down from the corner of his teary chocolate eyes. He didn't want to get his best friend hurt.

"Do you think I will allow this?"

A mighty shudder ran up—and even down—Gon's spine. He wanted to run away and save himself but he knew there was more than himself that he had to save. He knew he had to save his best friend too, more than anything. And although his heart was thumping violently against his chest and his brain was starting to pulse, he couldn't show it at all. Not to Illumi, of all opponents.

The fight had barely started.

* * *

_No hero can enter battle and leave without a single battle scar that will remind him of his success._

When Kurapika came to interrupt the battle, a murderous aura immediately came over to eat him up to the very back of his skull. He could tell, as immediate as it came, who the aura was from. He went to one corner of the room, tanto in both hands secretly hidden behind his back, as a silent surrender that was not quite.

"You do know what I can do, am I correct?" Illumi's thick, venomous voice asked, addressing to none other than the blond boy. The teenager nodded, but there was still a defiant stare in his eyes as he looked on at the battle scene that was shrouded in the dark. "Then you'd better just sit there and be quiet."

Kurapika, of course, did not want to do that. But before he could utter a single word of protest, something—whatever that thing was—came to grab at his arms, almost impaling him. His tanto fell to the floor with a clatter. He didn't know what to do as that invisible force pulled him farther into the corner, sending him to his knees. As a warning signal, a message delivered through implication, Illumi even sent a pin across the room, only a hair's breadth away from Kurapika's face.

And then, it felt like two rubbery hands held him up, leaving him unable to do anything but watch, the warrior who had to raise his white flag a bit too early.

* * *

When she entered, blood raced to her head and immediately it seemed she couldn't think. When she entered, she felt three—or four?—pairs of eyes stare back at her, her shivering and fearful form despite all the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"Illumi! Let go of Gon and Killua! NOW!" She demanded, and she started to wonder where all that confidence she had of herself came from all of a sudden. Her voice did not even waver as she stood in front of her enemy and she was proud of that.

"Like I will," Illumi said, tucking Gon into a deeper, tighter chokehold. Gon made choking noises—in a few, if that hold lasted long enough, he would have grand troubles breathing, and that could lead to his losing consciousness. And Akane couldn't risk that. She had to keep Gon and Killua—_oh, and is that Kurapika in the corner? Shoot…—_safe. No matter how much it took her, because she promised to herself. She would've called it a blood oath, if that was possible to be done with only herself.

"I will make you pay for what you did!" Akane said again, trying to distract Illumi as she got closer by a step and few more. She was either starting to lie to herself about that confidence, or she was being naïve about the battle. Illumi moved a step back, trying to lure her in the shadows. Gon was dragged by the neck, and Akane winced.

"Like you're strong enough." He tossed two or three pins in her direction and she avoided them—one almost not, but she managed to. The pins hit the wall, and the wall cracked slightly. Illumi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly in annoyance. "What kind of mediocrity is this recklessness in attacking an enemy you know you can't beat?"

"AKANE YOU STUPID GOLDIE!" Killua's familiar voice pierced angrily through the darkness. "GET AWAY! YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO BEAT HIM! LET ME HANDLE THIS MYSELF! I CAN DO THIS ON MY OWN! RUN! LET GO!"

Akane glared to the initial direction of the voice in the shadows. "Idiot! AS IF I ACTUALLY WILL! I'll do my best!" She said, and with that, she collected all her strength as she rushed at Illumi. She knew there was little chance with her winning in a hand-to-hand physical combat but what else could she gamble but that?

"ILLUMI! YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" Killua demanded angrily, fighting back at whatever was holding him captive. "I AM YOUR ENEMY!"

But Killua's screams were only ignored. _Pathetic, _Illumi thought as Akane continued to fight. Illumi didn't even need that much strength to fend off her weak—compared to what he could handle—attacks. A punch here, a kick there, what could hurt him in that baby-strength fight?

Illumi decided to finish it off before he even ran out of patience. He smirked. "Don't worry, my little brother. I'll keep this simple."

And agilely, he threw his favorite pins, them flying in the air quicker than how a bullet flies from a gun, and those pins hit bull's eye to his target.

"I WON'T LAY YOU LET A HAND ON GON!"

* * *

"DON'T TOUCH THEM! I WILL NOT LET YOU LAY A SINGLE ONE OF YOUR DIRTY FINGERS ON THEM!"

Killua's scream bounced and echoed through the damp walls of the cavern. He wondered how much longer he would last under the pain. The pressure that crushed his wrists and his ankles and his neck was starting to make him dizzy. Surely they would make a mark or worse a bruise the longer he spent there, tied up to his joints. He wondered what she—they—would say when they would see those bruises. He didn't like a single second of that thought.

But despite that, he needed to fight back. He fought and tugged angrily at the invisible chains that tied him to the wall. Oh, was that stabbing pain a wound by his wrist? …_no. _Nevermind. His neck started to feel numb, he was having trouble breathing. Another shriek escaped his throat as he took a final lunge out and away from the grasp of whatever was holding him captive.

Illumi's left eyebrow rose. There was a question lingering in his empty eyes, but he didn't voice it out loud.

But besides, Killua didn't care. Once he was out of the grip that he was almost sure would kill him, he ran toward Akane. She was sprawled on the floor like a newly-born baby, doused in blood that was also hers. Killua tried to shake her awake, or something, or into consciousness. Anything that would assure him that, _yes, _she was still alive and well and could breathe.

"Akane! Akane for god's sake wake up! Akane!"

If only Killua was man enough to accept that, he would have noticed that a tear had ever so silently made its way down his cheek. His purplish eyes shined as it got moister with tears that he would never have accepted to be the creator. He was still badly panicking as he tried to shake Akane 'awake.'

Gon, who Illumi had finally decided to set free to watch the show instead, had made his way to Akane and Killua as well. There was a frown in his face. He gripped Killua's and Akane's hands, a silent message of _You'll make it through._

Killua, angry, distressed, frustrated, aching, pained, and anguished, turned to his older brother with one of the iciest glares he'd ever made in his entire lifetime. No, he was serious; Gon could've sworn to have felt a part of Antarctica seep out of Killua's eyes. They shared a ten second staring contest, where Killua was spilling out his anger into the thin air. He didn't want to argue with his brother anymore. He'd had enough. His friends had enough.

"Gon, we're leaving."

Killua picked Akane up like he had done so many times in their journey together—like a sack of potatoes. He nodded his head to Kurapika, and Gon silently tried lifting the teenager—still held in a trance—up and went on to follow Killua to the door, out and finally away. But Illumi's dead voice stopped them from moving from where they stood.

"I will not answer to Father."

Killua glowered at his brother—or rather, at the maple-wood door that stood between war and peace. At least, it was supposed to be directed at his brother, but he didn't turn around to really give it to him because he knew when he had to stop.

"Then they should try and catch me."

Silence impregnated the room, and Killua took a step. They were leaving. For real, and nothing was stopping them.

(But somehow, despite that, the question hung in the air. Killua could almost taste it, feel it, hear it ring like he had actually spoken the words "_Why set me free?" _even if he didn't.

And, the same with his brother, despite the silence being the only words coming out of his mouth, he answered Killua in their own special way. The _Zaoldyeck _way, probably?

_I'm thinking of Alluka._)

* * *

"Why exactly did you let him go?"

A hair-raising laughter rang through the room as from the shadows came out a figure no one from the earlier group would've expected to be there. That figure went closer to the elder Zaoldyeck and giggled another time. Silence answered Illumi, but he could wait. He could wait forever, for a long long time if he needed to. He just needed the answers from that person he trusted so much to hold his brother long enough, but didn't.

"Answer me."

And as yet another laughter rang across the damp room, Illumi's patience—no matter how long it had been before—wore thin. He was starting to wonder how long this play would last, as this man loved playing, but he didn't need to wonder too long as the only response he could get was given to him.

"Heehee…darling, today was a good day~ ."

* * *

The room was like a box. The room was like a shaking brown wooden box. Her numbed ears could barely hear the noises of steel meeting steel over a powerful engine that spew out smoke to the cleanest of airs. She could smell the smoke too… and was that the faint trace of childhood in the wind?

The world spun as Akane's mouth struggled to find her voice. "Ugh—It feels like a hangover—" She grunted a groan of pain as she held her forehead with both her hands. "Drugs…? They must've put drugs on me—"

"They sure did," another voice answered her.

She was a bit surprised at that extra presence, but she pushed on. She could tell who it is, even with her eyes closed. "Killua?"

"Morning, sunshine," he said, and she could almost 'hear' the smile in his voice, if such feat could be done.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was his pair of beautiful shining purple ones.

"Are you okay now?"

Her eyelids fought to stay open, fluttering open and close. And when she did, a gurgle of a moan came out of her lips. She turned to her side, away from the sun, and so did he, so he was still facing her. Her voice came out dry, cracked. "Isn't it supposed to be me asking you that?"

Killua shook his head no, and just looked outside the window, trying to divert the topic. He remembered the moment he saw Kukuru mountain fading from view, away and finally out of sight. Now, it was nothing but green fields and pastures. "I'm fine," he said, wanting to drop the topic. But then, he went back on it so fast. Making a playful glare at her, he confronted her. "Hey, hey. You got a pin slashed from your back through like a whip. Does it hurt? Do you need more medicine? Or pain-killers probably—"

But Akane did not pay attention to whatever he was rambling about. He had turned mute in her ears. It was because as he was speaking, his hands went up and down in gestures she did not understand why he had decided to make. It caught her attention. Silently, she grabbed for his arm—softly—and looked at the purplish/bluish skin near his hands.

"What happened to your wrists?"

Killua snatched his hands and wrists, swollen and painful with the bruises, away from her. "…they're nothing," he said. "Nothing happened."

Silence enveloped the room. The sound of the train tracks rang through their ears like a conversation waiting to happen.

Her expression sad and her tone weary, she looked at him once more to ask, "What did Illumi do to you?" She didn't know what to say after that, but she had to ask him somehow. That was what she knew.

"Nothing," Killua said again, an excuse, before finally realizing his mistake—"err, I mean… nothing big. Nothing that you should mind…"

But Akane, the ever-so-insistent avenger-turned-victim, shook her head, not contented with his answer. Blue boring deep into his purplish eyes, she asked again, nagging like there was no tomorrow. "Killua, did they leave scars?"

Killua turned away. He didn't speak a word, but somehow he felt his wounds, laid uncovered under his white shirt, reopen and start to bleed rivers out again. Even though that was only his imagination, it felt real... he winced slightly.

Akane stood up, despite the pain stabbing her back side and somewhere near her stomach—had she been hit there too?—making her feel uncomfortable. Killua watched with wide eyes at her as she stumbled for the bedside table and the first-aid-kit she had seen. Prying it open and getting the roll-up bandage, she looked at him.

"Let me heal them."

* * *

That afternoon, Killua left Akane's room to exchange 'shifts' with Gon. The ever cheerful Gon had kept Akane awake the whole trip when he was shift, yet he left her feeling better and lighter than earlier. He had told her stories about Whale Island and how they should go there first before the next journey or adventure where they would have to part. He had told her a lot of interesting stories about anything under the sun, the Lord of the Lake, his aunt Mito, his father (whatever meagre knowledge he knew about him), his childhood, his dreams, and his (almost far-fetched) ambitions. In fact he sounded like a talking autograph book. He had also insisted that she should drink lots of water and sleep good, and all that 'get-well-soon' jazz, but Akane wasn't exactly listening to him.

When Gon had fallen asleep—his shift's schedule they had agreed on was 4 pm until 12 am—Akane enjoyed a bit of quiet. She stared at the wooden ceiling, and even out the window to the stars that would smile at them for the next who-knows-how-many-more nights, only to remember the conversation she'd had with _him, _the persistent 12-year-old whitehead, earlier around 2 pm, after he had (jokingly) spoon-fed Akane her lunch.

"_You didn't have to do that."_

"_Do what?"_

"_Go all the way to home and 'save' me. I could go out on my own. I had a plan but still—"_

"_It's nothing," she had said to cut off his long and bitter explanation._

"_But you really didn't have to."_

"_But I wanted to." Silence, because he did not respond. "Thanks for rescuing me," she said instead._

"_Thanks for the rescue."_

And that night, Akane fell asleep with a smile on her face because she knew exactly what he thought as well. Maybe they ran into the same thought train somewhere in between. Because she knew what happened was more than rescuing. And, either way, it was more than a rescue mission of a person, but more like a rescue mission of a person's heart.


	28. Insomnia

**A/N: **Enjoy this regular updating while it lasts. I will die somewhere during NaNoWriMo. Thank you for sticking with me up until now. When you're done PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review and tell me what you think, it's the best 'good luck' gift you can give me because an author always, always feeds on their reviews. xD

FMA reference? Yes, yes, yes.

Filipino foods? I'm so sorry. That's the only one I'm familiar with. HAHA. K.

(by the way, I edited the start slightly so that it implies with... some events. Read it if you want to know stuff. xD)

**OWC: **3,528 words~

**DISCLAIMER: **Hunter x Hunter is Yoshihiro Togashi's. [[FMA is Hiromu Arakawa's.]]

* * *

**INSOMNIA**

_(and a bit of sacrifice and nostalgia)_

* * *

It was probably somewhere before or after midnight when Akane awoke. Her eyes peeled open, letting the moonlight be filtered through her dark irises. She knew she should be asleep. She had, after all, spent a long day going adventuring with Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika. She should be tired—they had hiked a small hill, swam in the river, built sandcastles by the bay, helped Gon's Aunt Mito at the house to do chores, and entertained Gon because Killua had to find a way to go to sleep ahead of him.

But, for a reason she couldn't comprehend, she couldn't do anything besides toss and turn around in her bed. It was crystal clear to her that she would not fall into a state of sleeping any time soon. With a sigh, she pulled the thick blanket over her head, imagining that it smelled of sleep and dreams, and that it was warm like rest. But it was just cold. Ice-cold like the breeze that had started to blow through the open windows five minutes earlier.

But why were they in Whale Island?

* * *

Right before they came off the train, Gon had announced to the trio (that was composed of Kurapika, Leorio and Akane) that he and Killua had already pre-planned their off-route trip to Whale Island, Gon's hometown. Typical of them to start planning ahead of the others. And as they expected, they got a few reject responses—_I need to start with Med School soon_; _I need to start training as quickly as possible—_but Gon just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. And Killua just stood behind him, grinning. Thus, the trio was forced—required—to just agree and go with the flow and let Gon have his way.

And that's exactly what he did. Gon got them on the earliest boat to Whale Island—that was 4 in the morning, a bare half hour from the time they arrived to the station. The group got into the ship and dove right to the covers, aiming to get a good sleep this time. Gon, meanwhile, didn't even wink; he just stood there by the side of the boat, waiting for hours on end that they were there, to finally see the long-missed island home.

Gon stood there, pondering, his senses bathing in the freshness. The mighty sun peeped over and around the horizon, hiding from under the blanket of the sea that reflected the blue of the sky. The breeze brought the scent of sea, sunshine, and bright spring mornings at the same time. Gon couldn't help but smile. He missed that feeling of the morning washing over him so calmly and so brightly. How long had he been out of that house?

"GUYS GUYS WAKE UP! WE'RE NEARING PORT!" Gon screamed, rushing across the hallway to the room where his four other friends had decided to catch up on some sleep to get over the jet-lag of some sort with the hours of non-stop traveling. He went over each one of them and shook them by their shoulders until they were awake; for Killua, Gon had to pull his silver hair just to get him to stand up and open his eyes.

(Of course that seemed perfectly okay for the former assassin; they were close friends at that moment, after all.)

Akane sat up, rubbing her blue eyes that were obviously still cloudy with sleep. "Are we near Whale Island now?" Her voice was groggy and almost sounded drunk. She tidied her rosy-pink shirt, blinking as she went, trying to shrug off the mist of sleep.

"Yes we are!" Gon said, and giggled. There was this impenetrable layer of excitement in his tone that he could not take off.

"Then we should get ready," answered Kurapika as he stood up, moving on to fold and tidy the borrowed blanket and mattress. His hair was still bedhead, uncombed as, just like the others, he himself just woke up.

Killua's eyes were still droopy. He grabbed at his blanket—still warm and slightly wet (with drool and things) with his dreams—trying to buy more time for sleep, but Gon only did him a favor of grabbing the blanket and throwing it in the opposite direction. "No more sleeping," Gon said with a playful grin. "It's time to wake up, wake up, Killuuuuuu."

"In your dreams!" Killua barked back, and curled himself into a ball. Gon, who wasn't going to back down on arguments, lifted the mattress up from the floor, causing Killua to slide and land on his butt to the wooden floors. "Oww!" the latter shrieked. "Fine, fine, I'll wake up, fine," Killua said half-heartedly. He shook his head, trying to fix his ruffled hair, stood up and stretched his long pale arms.

Leorio—taking Kurapika's lead—had already also finished tidying his mattress and blanket. He shoved his set into the corner above Kurapika's. Looking into Gon, he asked, "After reaching shore, do we still need another ride to get to your house?"

"No," Gon said, shaking his head. "It's just a short walk, maybe five to ten minutes. Depends on how sleepy you are, really," Gon added, scratching the back of his nape. And then, just as the others thought he was having doubts about bringing them to Whale Island, a Cheshire-cat grin spread across Gon's face. "I bet Aunt Mito cooked really delicious food!"

And that's exactly what she did. The table that greeted them back in Whale Island was filled with food that they hadn't really met before in their lifetime. The original meal that Aunt Mito had prepared for the house was something they called _Adobo—_chicken that was stewed in a delicious broth of vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, and peppercorns. But the minute they entered the house and had finished the greetings ("Aunt Mito!" "Gon? Is that you? Oh! Gon! I missed you! Are you okay?" "Aunt Mito! These are my friends Akane, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika!" "There's so many of you! Wait. I'll have to prepare more food!" "No need, ma'am. We'll be fine on our own." "No, no. You kids must be tired from all your adventuring…"), she had rushed to the kitchen and prepared even more food, like what Gon had called the _Kare-kare_ which was a stew made from peanut sauce with a number of vegetables, beef, stewed oxtail, and tripe, and was also served with shrimp paste.

But what amused Gon the most was Killua's random fond taste for the one of the blandest meals in Whale Island, and that was the _goto, _nothing but a simple rice porridge and a few 'secret ingredients' that Aunt Mito did not name to make it slightly tastier. When Gon asked Killua why, of all the kinds of amazing food that he could try and succeed to smother in his mouth that came from Whale Island, did he have a sweet spot for the almost tasteless dish, Killua could only answer Gon with a shrug. "I don't know. I guess it's just because the name sounds like my butler."

* * *

Akane turned around in her bed, looking for something else to focus her attention on that would somehow—maybe—get her to fall into sleep. Gon's face—that screamed a big _epic fail_ to Killua's—when he knew that 'stupid' reason why Killua loved the dish, was just something that Akane couldn't erase in her head—and if she didn't, maybe she wouldn't even be able to fall asleep that night.

She turned her moist yet awake blue, blue, eyes to the ceiling, wondering why she couldn't sleep. It was only that night, of all nights, that she couldn't sleep. It was as if there was something that got in between her and the unconscious world. Turning to the window, she looked at saw the full moon, bright and white, undisturbed and not out-staged by the city lights like most of the time she saw it shine in the nighttime sky.

Maybe it was because the night was far too distracting to even fall asleep.

She wondered what it would be like if she went to the room adjacent to where she slept. In that room was Killua and Gon. Kurapika and Leorio took another room in the far back of the house. She wondered if the four other boys were fast asleep like the dead, or maybe one of them was having a hard time sleeping as well.

Staring back at the ceiling, she sorted her thoughts. She thought about her four companions and what they had done together all the time. She thought about Killua and whatever pain he must've had to go through his childhood—if she still had whatever to consider such past as a childhood. She wondered, how would it have felt to grow up not knowing about anything about your parents, as she remembered Gon's spiky black hair and his liquid-y brown eyes. She thought about Leorio and his dreams, that ambition that kept pushing him onward, his determination from which Akane took inspiration from. She thought about Kurapika, and just thought and thought and thought.

Another sigh, another flip.

Akane just couldn't seem to figure out why she couldn't sleep. The trees outside made shadows on the walls, and Akane watched as the leaves' silhouettes fluttered around dancing, singing a song with the wind that blew silently. The stars outside were shining merrily as well, twinkling as they assisted the moon in lighting the path for whoever else might be awake.

_Oh. That's just a grand idea._

Akane looked at the door, wondering if a little walk would help her fall asleep, would cure her momentary 'insomnia.' She closed her eyes for a minute, trying to remember her map of the house so that she wouldn't get lost in the dark. She remembered where she had put her jacket, somewhere hung in a nail tacked by the door of the house. And although she couldn't exactly remember where she had put her slippers, she decided it would be fine.

Yes. Maybe a walk around the seashore would help calm her senses.

She shuffled out the room's door, trying as best as she could to not wake up Aunt Mito, who decided to—instead of making Akane sleep in the same room with Gon or Kurapika—share her room with her. She hugged her bare arms, feeling fragile and vulnerable to the night wind. Oh, but what could she do but borrow what Aunt Mito had that fit her right? All that adventuring by the river only did her the favour of soiling her clothes when Killua had 'accidentally' knocked her into the mud. Sighing, she headed to the door, memories of that afternoon flooding her sleep-depriven mind.

* * *

The small river that flowed under the canopy, shining with the sunlight it had been lent to, glowed a dark green as it rushed across the moss-covered rocks. Killua had had quite a time splashing around the water with Gon. The river, as Gon said, was the last key point of their adventure around Whale Island _for that day._ He still had lots of plans for them the next day, and it was hard to miss that hidden message in his tone.

Akane could only sigh. She dipped her feet in the cool water, feeling it be run between her toes. There was something in that feeling of being calm and undisturbed that made her feel like she was somewhere in the border near heaven. She had never felt this good and well recently. Just looking at the kids play and the sun and the trees and the water made the coils of fear in Akane's stomach unravel one by one, and she felt better.

She wondered why.

"AKANE! You better go over here or else I'm going to drag you in the water!" Killua screamed from the distance, interrupting Akane's train of thoughts. She blinked and looked toward the direction of the two boys, only to catch them at the very right moment—Gon shoving a bundle of some kind of seaweed into Killua's face. Akane had to stifle her laughter.

Leaving Killua to busy himself with the sticky, slimy, odd-smelling weeds that had decided to stay in his face, Gon waded over to Akane. "Akaneeee~ don't you want to join us? Killua's having so much fun," Gon snickered as he looked over to Killua, freaking out and panicking, scratching at the goo on his face. Killua's silvery strands of hair had also smartly decided to stick into his face because of it being wet, and they only gave him a harder time because they tangled in with the weeds.

"Nahh. I'm fine over here," Akane said with a smile, telling Gon to move back to Killua with a nod of her head. She was content being the audience of this real-life reality show that was more hilarious than anything she'd ever seen.

"Haiiii~" Gon said, wading back to Killua with loud laughter escaping from his mouth. "HAHAHA! Killua wa bakadesuuuuu~" Gon cheered as Killua peeled the last bit of the icky weed off his face. With a menacing grin, Killua decided to storm toward Gon.

"Oh you little shrimp!" Killua screamed as he jumped over Gon to pin him, and they wrestled in the water, careful of the rocks that they may hit even as they fought. As they tackled each other around the river, Killua had also managed to drive them toward Akane. With that same playful grin he always had on whenever he had something in mind, he grabbed Akane by her ankle and pulled her down.

"Now you're coming down with us!"

Akane's hair that shined like gold under the sun was the last that Kurapika saw as she fell into the water. Killua's laughter pealed like bells across the river, echoing through the trees. When Akane got up to the surface, her white shirt had already stuck to her body like a second skin, and her hair was a messy vine that had no direction to go to. And as expected, she was glaring at Killua with a funny smile on her face.

"Oh, now you are _so _coming down with me too."

* * *

The first thing Akane had noticed when she stepped outside was that Whale Island was beautiful; really beautiful, especially at night. The moon—that chanced to be a full one that night—shone on the grass and the sand, making them shine like beads of silver. Her bare feet trod through the grainy sand, feeling their soft texture.

She sighed contentedly. It was so peaceful.

And beautiful. Especially the moon, smiling like a mother dear at her sleeping child. She had never seen a moon that beautiful in her entire life. It was different from the moon she saw in the city, different from the moon in Kukuru, different from the moon in Padokia. Just different. There were no city lights that covered its true grandiose, and the stars, the moon's children, shone with it.

Akane stood there, spellbound. It was like she'd been stopped by some kind of trance. Her breath stuck in her throat, she didn't know what to do. It was just so… breathtaking.

She took another step in the sand, wondering where she should walk. She pondered if it was a good choice to go around wandering by the shore by the beach at this time of the night. Deciding against it, she walked toward the direction of the trees, by the garden, thinking that she could just sit by the flowers and ponder about life's mysteries before sleep might finally take her in its tight embrace. She had expected all of that to just happen smoothly.

What she did not expect to see was _him. _Bathed in the moonlight, staring at the empty space of the sea and the trees and the sand, was Kurapika. His blond hair swayed with the wind, dark blue eyes blank and almost staring at nothing in particular in the vast of the faraway shores of Whale Island.

Akane walked closer toward him, and he blinks as if woken from a trance. "Hey."

He turned to Akane. His eyes are still caught in that dream or illusion he was basking in. "Can't sleep?" he asked.

Akane shook her head. "No. I just… can't." Turning to the moon, she sighed. "The nights too distracting… they're just so beautiful here."

"Reminds me of someplace," Kurapika said with a nostalgic tone in his bitter voice. Akane looked at him warily. _So that's why._

"Whale Island is amazing," Akane said as she sat on the same bench beside Kurapika. "It's different, but it's familiar. It's homey despite the fact that you're not from this place."

Kurapika only responded to her with an eerie silence, and Akane just stared on at him. His eyes were wandering to a past that he couldn't return to. Never, no matter how much he tried and tried and tried. His single earring, shining in the moonlight a shade of beautiful blood red, shivers in the breeze.

"How is it like in Rukuso?" Akane asked, deciding to take the risk in that question to break the thick layer of ice. She didn't look at Kurapika's eyes as she asked the question, trying to pretend that it really was a nonchalant one. Kurapika stared at her in slight shock while she looked up at the moon, as if the question didn't matter.

At first, she thought Kurapika wouldn't even bother to answer her. Maybe, she thought, it would be too painful to even think about. But when he did, there was a sense of relief and peace in her mind. He trusted her enough.

"The Rukuso moon looks more beautiful than this one," he stated, longing in his voice. "Usually there's a small celebration in the house of the prince during the full moon. It's because… they say humans are closest to the spirits during the full moon. It's for the dead, for the dying, for the newborn," he explained.

Akane looked up at the moon silently, wishing him to continue, secretly wondering, _is that what you're trying to do? _

"They say when you're at those states, you're safest spiritually, despite the fact you're vulnerable to what the material world can do. And they say when you 'grow' in the material world, you can lose yourself from true spirituality. You lose your way. You're gone." Kurapika released a sigh. Everything was getting a bit too painful for him, but he didn't want to be selfish. Akane was one of them, too, after all.

(It was all about sacrifice.)

"That's why they said life is something like alchemy, something practiced by the olden people. It's all about deconstruction and reconstruction. You're created complete, pure, eternal at start; the material world destroys you, takes away your immortality, and then whips you with all its might. But if you're strong enough, death will not serve as your end, but your reconstruction spiritually. You will be saved. And you'll be reincarnated one day…"

Kurapika's voice trailed off as he noticed Akane take a small yawn that she had so desperately tried to stifle, apparently. He realized—maybe she'd had enough. He had had enough. It was just too much. Just thinking of Rukuso and whatever remains in there.

His hands. His hands started to tremble, remembering the cool feeling of the wet mud and the bodies and the cool air that night when he had all buried them, one by one, every single familiar face, every single loved one. That afternoon he had lost all of them from the storm.

"I'm sorry. I must be boring you…" Kurapika whispered, trying his hardest to remove the shakiness of his voice. He was terrified, too.

Akane shook her head, desperately wanting to say, _No, go on. I want to know more… please. _But another yawn took over her and she realized maybe it wasn't the right time to fall asleep after all. The momentary 'insomnia' was wearing off at the wrong moment, and she didn't like it.

The orchestra of the night-time crickets serving as their background music for the end of the long night, Kurapika stood up, taking her hand with him as he aimed to return her to the house.

"You should go to sleep now."

Pain in her eyes, she grabbed hurriedly for his sleeve, wanting him to stay. To continue. There was just so much more he could tell her. There was just so much more she could learn. Because there aws just so much more blank spaces, so much more she wanted to know, but she just couldn't seem to.

Why, why was it so hard?

"But Kurapika…"

And when he replied to her, his voice was empty and it was dead. It was obvious. He'd had enough pain nibbling at the edges of his empty soul. He looked down and headed away from her, away from the house and the garden and whatever memories she had pulled up from the forgotten crevices of his past, wanting to hide from her the tears that had started to well in the corner of his blue, blue eyes that had almost—so closely—turned scarlet.

"I'll tell you when you're ready."


	29. Not exactly Paranoia

**A/N: **So. I am back. Christmas break is in the air so, I'm home. xD

First draft of this was written on Akane's birthday, so it is in her perspective. Don't ask why she's being paranoid; I'm inserting a newer her as we reach the newer chapters. Muhaha.

The first part is some kind of foreshadowing. Please don't be confused ^^'

[I haven't rechecked this. I'm sorry. T_T If you see anything, please.]

(If it would held explain, while writing I was listening to _'Sana Maulit Muli_' by Gary V. o_o)

**DISCLAIMER: **Oh Togashi, you pwn us all.

**OWC: **3,115

* * *

**Chapter 29:**

**Not exactly Paranoia**

* * *

_Do you know that feeling when you walk across a wet, timid street, while or after it has rained pretty well, and wherever you step on, you cause the glassy water puddles to break, to make ripples from you, the center of the quake, breaking the tranquillity?_

_That feeling of guilt that you've broken their peace, that feeling that you should have watched your moves better, that feeling that you should have paid closer attention to what was happening around you so you would not have broken that peace, have you ever felt that?_

_I closed my eyes, the screen of the phone in my hands painted over with the words 'Number Busy.' I wasn't really expecting him to answer my call, not in a time like this, but I hoped—and there's nothing wrong with that, is it? I pressed a button and dropped the phone on the cold surface of the glass table. I pressed my warm cheek against its surface, feeling my hands shiver, not with the cold but with the fear._

_I watched the glass pane that divided peace and war… break. I wondered if it was my fault, or his._

* * *

The sunlight pierced like sharp needles through the miniscule slits in the walls in the open windows, and I could hear the birds chirping outside. I sat on a small piece of wood that stood out from the walls, making some kind of window seat, assisted by a pillow. From the room I could smell the sweet aroma of the pastries that were, I bet, being served outside for the two little boys, and the two older ones. I wondered if I was the only one who hadn't come out of our respective rooms, and I wondered if they were looking for me.

_Oh my god, Akane. You're overthinking things again, _I scolded myself, slapping my forehead in a vain attempt to make myself sane. And with that I decided maybe I _should _get out of the room and be blessed with humanity. Maybe that would make me sane.

Standing up, I swept my blonde bangs off my face, holding them with my two fingers. _Maybe I should get a haircut. _I was aware of the fact that I was only procrastinating from the act of going outside, but what was the point of arguing? I looked around the room for a pair of scissors and found one, in the built-in bathroom's cabinet. The stainless steel blade glinted under the artificial light of the bulb. I gripped its fuchsia pink handles with strong hands and started to snip at the edge of my bangs, wondering if I was actually doing a good job at it.

When I thought I was pleased with it—or it looked at least slightly cleaner than the first try—I returned the scissors to the cabinet and clipped what was left with a bright blue hairclip that I had managed to find in my bag. I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

My mother used to tell me that I shouldn't take too much pride in what I see of myself in the mirror. She used to tell me: _"__Mirrors were objects whose only goal in life was to trick those who dare to look them straight in the eye. They show you what you want to see, not who you truly are. You see, mirrors come from a world of fantasy and trickery. Only you truly see what you are inside, after all. And their objective sat between deceiving and trying their best to not hurt the people they love." _

I wondered what lies the mirror was telling me that morning.

I pulled at the edge of the loose white shirt that Aunt Mito had kindly lent me the previous night, running my fingers nervously through my already-long hair, trying to buy time. If anything, I didn't want to see Kurapika just yet. I felt like we ended on a bad note last night, and I wasn't excited to see the look on his face too soon again…

xxx

"_I'll tell you when you're ready."_

_His eyes almost begged me to leave, and somewhere inside I felt like I had interrupted him from doing something important. I nibbled at my bottom lip, feeling really guilty inside. My hand, which had subconsciously managed to rest on his shoulder, slid off like an eel away from a slippery rock somewhere in the depths of the ocean. I nodded limply, regretfully. He smiled a 'thank-you' smile and I turned around, trying my hardest not to drag my feet against the sand. _

_I trudged back into the house, feeling really sorry for Kurapika, his situation, and mine, somehow. And even though I knew he was far from my hearing distance, I somehow could still hear him pray—the wind carrying his solemn, forsaken voice to the heavens to one he called _Kirako, _as he prayed, prayed ever so fervently—"Please, please… bring her back."_

Xxx

I hadn't actually expected anything more than just the plain old boring bread for breakfast, because, well, I grew up to an environment that got used to having pastries for breakfast, and not rice. But this was definitely a different place from home, and I thought it would be a welcome experience.

Sure, there was bread—round little balls of flour, slightly crispy on the outside but soft like cotton on the inside. But the meals served with rice was much, much more than the bread. The rice served on the wooden table was fried with garlic and some salt most likely. There was a plate of dried fish on the table, served with some kind of dark sauce—is that soy sauce? And then there was the never-ending _corned beef, _and I bet that was the interesting smell I had noticed from the hallway on. There were also eggs served in the _sunny-side up _fashion, at least two for each person on the table.

I looked around to the people there. They all had looked more at home than usual. Killua sat right beside Gon, wearing only his camisole that was tinted with lavender, and his usual blue shorts. Gon wore some random white camisole with the sleeves torn at the edges, and some green shorts with turtle patterns on it. The two other roomies sat next to each other too—Leorio wore a blue polo with bright orange palm designs on it, and black and red striped shorts—_are those boxers?_ Kurapika wore a loose orange-y shirt and some random bluish pants that got slightly baggy at the end.

"Akane-nee-san's awake now!" Gon's shrill voice filled the dining area, replacing the monotonous buzz of conversation with silence. I looked down to the floor in embarrassment. Gon should've known how much I hated being center stage.

"Hey," Killua greeted, and as I looked up I saw him flip his hair into place like he usually would, followed by a quick brushing with his fingers. "Look who woke up late."

I mildly glared at him, and then turned to walk to the empty seat behind him, the only seat left. I picked up the chopsticks with my right hand, murmuring an almost inaudible "Itadakimasu" under my breath as I started to eat, too.

"So how was your night, Akane?" Leorio asked with nonchalance, as if he was just asking to break the ice that I had not noticed wrapping around the dining area setting. He picked up a piece of the dried fish with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, staring at me expectantly.

I chewed silently on the piece of the egg I had on my plate and swallowed it, trying to buy some time, and gather some composure while I was at it. "Wonderful," I said, smiling him the most deceptive smile I could put on. "I even dreamt of unicorns."

_Never lie to yourself nor to anyone, _my mother reminded in my head, but I shook it off. _I know when to lie, and when to not._

"Unicorns?" Gon's voice again, and we all stared at him. "I dreamt of them too. There were five of them and they were flying over a Hunter Organization airship, puking rainbows as they went—and each one of them carried one of us, ain't that fun! And then there were glitters, so many glitter—"

"Oh, shut up, Gon!" Killua reprimanded him, driving a fist at Gon's shoulder. "Do you really think they would want to hear that stupid dream of yours?"

"But it has unicorns!" defended Gon, only making Killua sigh.

I laughed a little at the two bickering boys, and Killua stared questioningly at me. At first I didn't notice until I felt his hand brushing my forehead. I pulled back. "H-hey! What's up?"

"Shh," he said. "Stay still; what's this?" He pulled at my uneven bangs with his strong fingers, letting the clip I had put there to keep it in place fall into his other open hand, and I could only move forward to him to minimize the pain. "What the hell? Did you cut your bangs or something?"

I pulled my hair away from him, grabbing the clip and putting it back in place. "None of your business," I told him, putting out my tongue. "It was in the way, that's all."

He turned around from me and faced his food again. I thought he was ready to drop the topic at last, but apparently he wasn't. "Tch. To think you're a girl! I would've thought you would be able to keep pretty at least. Look at Kurapika. He's a dude and yet he can fix his hair better than you!"

I narrowed my eyes at him, and he only giggled as he shoved another mouthful of corned beef into his big, big mouth.

But going back to Kurapika… I stared at the said blond with suspicious eyes. He'd remained miraculously quiet, along with Mito-san. Mito-san I could understand, but what was with Kurapika? I stared at him longer than I should have, and then he looked up. I shot him a look that said, _What's the problem with you? _and he just went back to eating as if he did not even notice me.

_What the hell? _I wondered if he was thinking about last night. What exactly had I interrupted him doing, anyway? And who was the Kirako person he was talking about to the moon and the stars and the night sky?

I did not want to mess with him in his past life if he did not want me to, of course. I knew that he needed space and privacy and most of all respect. I knew where his grudge was bringing him. I somehow had a mental image on where his grudge will bring him in the end as well, and what will happen, and what his reaction will be.

I swept my hair back behind me and thought about how I would approach Kurapika now. I knew that most likely Gon and Killua would stick to each other now, and I knew that Leorio would be going off to take his Medical examinations. I couldn't go back home, not after all the distance I've crossed to get here. I thought of going with Kurapika and training with him, asking about what he knew—just to assure myself with that sense of belongingness—and then still looking for… what I had to look for, but it wasn't that simple. Whatever you may call what happened last night set up an ice-cold and steel or probably rock-hard barrier of some sort between the two of us, and I had a feeling that talking to him about anything would be harder than how it was before.

I twiddled with my chopsticks, spinning them with my fingers like one would do with a pen, obviously running low of appetite. I put it down on the ceramic, bamboo-shaped holder, silent. My mind was wandering to last night, yet again like it had done earlier, and I needed to distract myself. I waited for all of us to finish, and then we went to the kitchen to clean the dishes.

I took my place behind the sink, Mito-san thanking me from the dining area, turning the faucet on. It went wild like a waterfall, and it hurt as it met the skin in my hands. I put the plates underneath its whip and ran the yellow sponge across their surfaces, turning them white what with the bubbly suds, my mind going blank.

"Akane," Killua said, handing me another stacks of four or so plates, "Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded to him, getting the plates and running them under the faucet again. "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine. There is not a single problem in the world," I told him, smiling generously as I ran the sponge again, feeling my fingers grow numb with the lies.

"Sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me, blue eyes glinting, almost interrogating in their own little ways. "I can help you, you know."

"I'm fine," I told him again, shooing him away with one wet hand so that I am sure he steps back. "Don't worry about me. Gon must be looking for you."

And just like I told him, Gon's voice again—it had become some kind of 'sound of the morning'—"KILLUA!"

Killua groaned, pocketing his hands in his blue shorts. "Oh Gon, for crying out loud!" he said, voice sounding groggy. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Geez." He went out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with the faucet again.

I ran the plates under the water one final time to rinse off the soap, dwelling in the somehow 'ksssssshhhhhhh' sound of the water meeting the steel sink as it cleaned the soap off. Somehow it was therapy, a new buzz to the sound of my brain wracking me off with all the overthinking thoughts. One plate, two plates, three. This time, a glass, two forks and three spoons—_where is the other fork?_ Everything, in that little moment, became a routine.

The door to the kitchen opened again, with a slight creak this time, but I did not bother to check who it is. Whoever that person was stayed by the door as I finished what was left of the plates and put them in the rack to dry in the air. I turned my head around—

"Kurapika?" my eyes widened in surprise. "Oh—oh. Are there any more plates?" He shook his head no, still leaning on the wall. "Oh—okay. I'll go now." Before I could even move a step away from the sink, he shook his head.

"Wait—no, Akane." He told me, and his sole earring glinting in the sunlight that passed through the windows. "Don't leave. Wait."

I stood still in my spot, suddenly not knowing what to do. "O—okay…" I murmured. "Why, w—what's up?"

He looked at me, seriousness in his deep blue eyes. "Gon and Killua are going to leave in a while; they're going to have to train. Leorio's going to take his medical exam back in his place," he said, and then breathed a long, deep breath. "Where do you plan on going?"

I gulped whatever saliva I had in my mouth, trying to call on the courage that had decided to rest somewhere in my body—my hands, perhaps? "Definitely not back home," I told him, 'cause I was sure that, well, that was the only thing I was sure of. He nodded, expecting a continuation to my response. I looked up at the ceiling and thought and thought and thought—overthinking again—_should I?_

"I actually planned on tagging along," I told him, the words barely escaping my lips. "I—I mean if you don't mind."

He shook his head no, standing up from the wall. "No, that's fine," he told me. "I can tell, the kids are leaving in a while. We might as well follow them off the airport. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," I told him. He walked out of the room and I stood there, heart hammering in my chest, and I didn't know what to do.

_What the hell did I just sign myself into?_

* * *

The moonlight pierced through the empty windows of the room. Mito-san hasn't returned to the room we shared yet, so I sat there alone to think about life.

I had turned off the lights in the room, and as I leaned on the cold wall of the room, buried to the neck with the thick comforter, I watched the fireflies outside dance a mating dance to each other, fluttering as they went. They formed indistinct shapes, shapes of what might have been a dream to someone, shapes of something that has no name.

The song of the night wind was sending me to sleep, murmuring hushed tones of dreams and paradise to my tired ear, trying its best to shut my eyes to get myself some (hopefully not eternal) rest. My eyelids were giving up, they were losing the battle, but I did my best. I still had time—I could still think, think before I lose this day to oblivion.

From the other room, I could hear the kids laughing or probably arguing about something so trivial again. I can hear Gon's shrill giggling, and Killua shouting something at him, only to be followed by a boisterous laughter. And then, silence, when Mito-san knocked harshly against their door. Slight giggling again, but this time, it was more restrained. In the other room where Leorio and Kurapika stayed was silent, and I wondered what they were doing. _Sleeping, perhaps?_

The door of the room opened, and as quickly as I could, I ducked into lying position on the futon. "Oh," I heard Mito-san say. "She's asleep already." I heard something hard be placed against the wooden table by the door—a glass of milk probably—before she shuffled into her futon as she closed the door. I dug myself a hole deeper into the sheets, giving away to the lull of the night air, still singing an opera.

Tomorrow would be another day. Tomorrow Kurapika and I would go to the airport with Leorio, Gon, and Killua, and we would separate. Tomorrow, Kurapika would promise that, indeed, he would tell me when he deemed me ready—before it was too late. Tomorrow, the cool air of the airship would be greeting us again, and tomorrow everything would be so much better.

_Tomorrow, _I said, dropping the pen I clutched in my hand, together with a small notebook with Chinese threads hanging by the side. _Tomorrow, _I promised, a promise that words could not fortify.

Tomorrow, I said. Tomorrow would be the beginning.


	30. A Prologue Slightly Too Late

**A/N: **If we think of this rationally as with what I had planned, Chapter 29 was something like an "Epilogue." And this would be "Prologue" of the next part. So explains the title.

I hope you don't get confused with the ending; hopefully as it goes the pieces will gather themselves together into a beautiful, beautiful snowflake.

[And I'm now greeting an advanced Merry Christmas (even if there is some conflicts with my belief in it) because I'm not too sure if I would be able to upload Chapter 31 next week Saturday. Or something.]

**DISCLAIMER:** Yoshihiro Togashi, unfortunately, isn't giving me HxH as a Christmas gift this year.

**OWC: **3,534 words

* * *

**Chapter 30**

**A Prologue Slightly Too late**

_(Losing Control)_

* * *

Everything passed by as if they were merely a dream.

* * *

"'Actually, all Hunters are pretty stubborn. That's why while you're listening to this tape, I should be somewhere doing something stupid. So if you want to meet me, come and find me. …Catch me if you can.'"

_Gon told me those exact same words before we had separated ways in the airport. That had been so long back, a good few months, but I remember our conversation like it had happened an hour ago, or sometime closer. He said it was from a tape his father had prepared for him to listen to, long before he even cared about Ging or looking for Ging. It was his only response to my question, when I asked him if he was still going to look for his father 'who did not deserve being looked for by his kid'. Especially by a talented kid like Gon. Then, I asked him why he still was going to. He said—"It's a father-son thing. He challenged me and I accepted the challenge. I'm not going to back down here, halfway."_

_I knew from the start of this adventure that the storm that delayed our flight didn't bode anything well for the future. Why had I tagged along with Kurapika anyway? I buried my face in the palms of my hands and I sighed—a long and grieving one._

_The chains he had laid down on the ground for the arachnids had accidentally tripped me, made me fall, and then, wrapping around my neck like a snake, slowly—very, very slowly—suffocating me._

* * *

It was not too long after they had left Whale Island with smiles and promises that Kurapika and Akane went on seriously with their adventure. Bags slung over their shoulders they boarded the plane and flew into a faraway land, like knights, when they would wander with their favourite white horses.

"'It's not that I mind your lack of experience, because there are clients that accept amateurs. But right now, you're worse than an amateur. I can tell just by looking at you,'" Kurapika said, trying to mock the voice of the lady he had met earlier. He wasn't drunk, high, or anything close to that, Akane knew, but certainly he was acting quite differently from what she would have expected him to do or say. His eyes were threatening to turn Scarlet. Something must have hit him in the head pretty hard. "Who is she kidding? 'Worse than an amateur' is just plainly insulting! Sure I'm off in this world as a rookie from the Hunter Exam, but I'm still considered a Professional Hunter right? _**Professional!**_ Here I am being humble enough to ask from them and—"

"Kurapika, please calm down," Akane said, patting his shoulder with a gentle hand, trying her best to comfort him. She tried to keep a calm composure, but actually, she was already wildly panicking inside. She didn't know how to handle a Kurapika in that state!

She handed him a glass of cold water, telling him to drink it. The ice clinked as they touched the cylindrical surface of the said glass, and it broke the heated silence. Drinking it? He did with no much hesitance. Then, after emptying the glass, he put it angrily against the wooden table, making Akane wince.

They had stayed in that same hotel the past few days. And Akane figured they would continue to, until they find a decent-enough place to stay in. Or something at least close enough to decent. Renting an apartment was one of their options, but they had no cash for something as extravagant as that. Especially since there was the two of them, and they figured they needed space, so an ordinary, one-room rentable wasn't an option. At least, that was what the ever too-conservative Kurapika thought of their current situation; Akane wouldn't have cared the least.

Akane took the glass and put it away, far away from Kurapika who was shaking. But out of what? Was it fear or anger? Or a mixture of both? "Maybe you just need more training," Akane told him, trying to fish out the proper words. "Besides, no knight ever goes to war without the proper battle skills, training, and practice. Maybe she saw something amiss with you. Don't take it personally."

"I know how to fight and defend myself!" Kurapika complained, slamming his hands against the wooden table. "I'm not any regular seventeen-year-old! I am a warrior in my tribe and I know—"

Akane tried to shush him. The best she could do with the situation was to try to take more information from the suddenly so honest and vulnerable Kurapika, until she would be able to piece out what happened that afternoon when he left to look for a job. He wasn't going to say straight out what happened, anyway. "What did she say anyway? Maybe you're not taking this rationally like you should do!"

"I asked her what she meant and she asked me if she saw that _thing _beside her. Did you actually expect me to tell her I see her shadow? That would be stupid! And then, she followed it up with 'Come back when you can see it. That's our minimum requirement'!" Kurapika said, trying to grab onto something, but only finding his hair so he pulled at it. The shriek that had formed in his through just stopped short of his teeth, and it was replaced by angry, angry breathing, like a bull.

Trying to control her temper, Akane peeled off his girlish fingers from his already slightly longer than before blond hair. Her soft approach wasn't working for him—this time, she would have to _**knock**_ some sense into him. When the fingers were off the strands, she slapped the backs of his hands, out of the blue, unexpected by Kurapika. "Then you weren't listening! Maybe there is some kind of ability you're supposed to have to see those things!" Kurapika looked at her with slowly turning bloodshot blue eyes, almost curiously but not so much.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sounding weak, and defeated. "Are you saying I'm weak too?"

Akane wrapped her arms around him—trying to show her friendship to him—and then hit the backs of his hands again. He winced this time. "I'm saying you need training. Maybe… maybe it's the same phenomena from the Hunter Exam, do you remember?"

"With Hisoka?" he asked as Akane sat back up again. He retrieved his hands that were already slightly pink. Were they sore? "Yes, I do." Akane could tell his mind was returning to normal and she felt relieved for that.

"That's good. Maybe we can ask people about it; we're not the only soldiers fighting in this war, are we?" Akane asked him, and he nodded. "Is your head clear now?"

He clutched it in his hand, and he could feel his heart thumping inside it, as if it had jumped from his chest to beside his brain that was being split open by migraine. "Somehow," was his answer. Then, he stood up. "I'm going to go to my room."

Akane nodded, watching him step away from her. When the sound of the closing of the door from his room echoed in her eardrums, she sighed. Her own heart was beating angrily against her chest. She didn't know it—everything—would be that hard.

She looked out the ceiling-to-floor window of the room—around the size of three doors laid side-by-side. There were not too much skyscrapers in the area, so from where they were—on the 23rd floor of some hotel whose name was so complicated she had forgotten it—she could see almost the entire city.

It was almost eighteen o'clock—6:00pm—and the sun had already fallen into its grave behind the earth. The city was bathed in a shade of night blue as the moon, full circle like a round porcelain plate, started to take over, take control like a commando officer. Its daughters and sons, its children, the stars, started to play in the night time sky that they had made their playground. The lights from the little houses started to be turned up, one at a time. She watched them, blinking, in dead silence.

There was news that a good number of at least a hundred stars would be racing across the sky that night, in around an hour more, and those stars would be so bright, that their light would be seen all the way to Dentora Province, in their little house in Rimowa town…

And then, as if shot with a drug that worked like lightning, she took her newly-bought phone from her pocket and dialled a number. It was as if her life depended on it. She tensed as she heard the ringing. _Kriiiiiing. Kriiiiing. Kriiiiiing. _And then, when the person on the other side answered "Hello," a smile crawled over her face.

"Sensei?"

* * *

I want to be strong—the kind of strength that can banish all the wandering spirits into the deepest level of hell.

"_What do you think of the Kuruta kid?"_

"_He has potential, a lot of which he might as well give to those in needs of such, but he's not just using it the right way. What with the power we know about his race. We all know they're a special kind. But it's just the wrong thing that's pushing him through with what he wants to do. It's a good goal but it's not a good force. But he has potential and he would be a good student. It would be spectacular for any teacher to have a student, an apprentice like him. I can see he's a fast learner and he's an adapter—a very good one. Chameleon people are those who know how to live. But we all know what's chaining him down."_

"_But you're taking him?"_

"_Why not?"_

* * *

"Sensei!"

"_Is that you, Akane?"_ His voice was ragged.

"Of course it's me!" His reaction elicited a hyperactive giggle from her. "Who else would it be?"

"_Akane my child!"_ He gasped through the line. _"It certainly has been a while. Have you still been putting up weights? Are you still training? How can I help you?"_

Akane giggled again. "Man, are you excited or what. What did you eat this time? Squashed spinaches, something? Well, yes, I'm training, sensei. Talk about pushing a four ton door, isn't that good enough for you?" The old man grunted.

"_Look who's bragging. What did I tell you about bragging?"_

"You told me it was illegal. It isn't. I met a 12-year-old who brags even better than me," Akane said, an image of Killua flashing behind her eyelids. She laughed slightly. "Anyway, that's not the point. Can you help me? Please? It's about training."

"_You've passed the Hunter Exam, that's what I've heard."_

"I should be asking you how you know that, asking you if my mom blabbed about it excitedly to you, but this is not the time, so—"

"_It's related. It's about Nen."_ There was a slight pause from the other end, followed by a sharp gasp. "_–oh shit, no, I shouldn't be telling you about this… but keep it shut."_

"What?" Her left eyebrow rose. Her _sensei _wasn't making any sense at all.

"_Never mind what I just said. I'll dictate to you some numbers, and call them. Tell them my name of course. They can help you. Do you have pen and paper in hand? These are two numbers. I'll start. Six, three, nine, one, seven…"_

* * *

It was actually a very different kind of control.

The tiles glinted slightly sky blue as they bounced back the light from the bulb that sat above them, on the ceiling made out of painted-over wood. The tiny room smelled of Satsuma, coming from the scents from the complimentary candles of the hotel that she had lit on the darkest corners. A kind of tranquil, irresistible silence filled over as the background music of the room. The sound of the water droplets hitting the tiled floor echoed in her eardrums, filling her senses.

_Sun in the sky, trees on the ground… _

Akane ran the soap across her skin, feeling that her sense of touch had become slightly revitalized. It had been a long day; a long, long day right after Kurapika had gone out to search for a job. She had called the people her _sensei _had told her to, one by one, and finally, they have gotten themselves some Teachers. Akane could not thank them more than anything, and she felt like a weight had been pulled off her shoulders. She was yet to tell Kurapika though; he was busy burying his nose into a book when she had arrived in their little Hunter-Organization-funded-room.

_Our bodies created from the earth, our souls from the heavens. _

Akane was happy that Kurapika was feeling much better than he did the day before. He stayed at home—err, in the hotel—the entire day, saying he would sort out his thoughts, before he went and did his next move. Akane said she would be out doing something important, because, well, the York Shin Auctions would be in a few months, coming closer at them, closer and closer, that she had to prepare some important things. She hadn't told Kurapika what exactly, though. He had no idea that she had prepared Teachers for both of them already, thanks to her _sensei._ The advantages of her seemingly deceitful hiding—not exactly lying—were slowly assembling, though. Where had she learned those? Hisoka?

_The sun and the moon shines on our limbs, _

She wanted to be a kid again, somehow. Her thoughts said those exact sentiments, and it was easily splattered with her every murmur as the shower went alive, cleansing her. When she was but a child, she lived a relatively happy life. What more did she want that she had ventured into the woods of the real world? When she was a child, she lived this life in a fairy tale, with unicorns—she suddenly thought of Gon, but it was just a fleeting memory and she went on—and princes in white horses. She used to believe in happy endings, but at that moment everything seemed realistic. She closed her eyes and she wished she was a child again, when ignorance was bliss and everything, everything—yes, everything—was perfect enough in its own way.

_And the ground moistens our body. _

She wished she could be sure of the future. Something like playing an RP game that you've already finished before—the second time, you would be able to know what would happen next, you would be able to conduct the "next move" in the best way. But no, Akane wasn't a fortune teller, and neither was Kurapika. Life wasn't an RP game either, and there was no "undo" button either. But Akane put faith in everything she did, she put all her faith, until she was sure that she _was _sure.

_Giving this body the wind that blows. _

But… somewhere inside she was scared, though. Scared of what might happen, scared of where this entire adventure was leading her to. She was scared that one day, she might fall into a black pit, a hole that would assure her death and her disappearance, her end. She was scared of everything. But she held hope, on Kurapika and to his plans. It was like she trusted him, suddenly, with all her heart and soul. She had hope that Kurapika's plans would work and that one day, that illusion of laughing and joy, and finally 'oneness' and unity, would happen. She looked out the window and she saw the stars, dancing and singing to her and to him of that hope. He was her hope, in that moment.

What she didn't know that she was his hope, too, the only thing he could cling on to in that sandpit of desperation.

Oh, how I wished I could help them.

_Thank god for the miracle, and the Kuruta territories. _

She turned off the faucet and took a lot of long, deep breaths. She was hyperventilating as if she had gone through a marathon. She had, actually, if merely in her disturbed thoughts. She was shaking and she wondered if it was because of the fear of the assurance of danger. Akane was _overthinking _and it had become a hobby, if only recently. She shrunk into a corner of the shower, feeling her skin meet against the cool tiles, and she shuddered at the contact.

_Wishing to share everlasting peace in our souls…_

Moonlight, making its way from behind the clouds, pierced through the small window of the bathroom, bouncing to the tiles and through the shower curtain, finally to her bare, wet skin. It was some kind of cleansing, the bath she had taken in the dark, not only physically, but emotionally, probably even spiritually. Everything that Kurapika had poured on her suddenly crashed through her dam, and she was losing control recently.

Catharsis. She craved spiritual and emotional catharsis, but would physical pain do enough to give her that?

_I desire to share the mirth with my people. _

She closed her eyes, trying to block out all negative sensations that ate at her heart—especially, the worry. Worry and fear, of course. Wasn't it always those two?

Some part of her continued to worry about Gon and Killua and what was happening with them. Where they still blindly chasing after Ging, like Gon had told her they would do? And then Leorio—she wasn't so worried about him, he was bound to act like a grown man despite his seemingly childish brain, but how was he, and his Medical Exam? She could not help worry about her parents as well, who she had rashly run away from before they had saved Killua, but looking at everything that happened after that, she didn't mind the consequences. She was already there, so why bother regretting, right?

No turning back.

_I desire to share their sadness. _

From inside the bathroom she could hear Kurapika rustle around the room. He was going to call downstairs for some room service—food for dinner, for it was just the time: twenty one o'clock, 9:00pm, the time they would usually eat. The two weeks of being with Akane—and Akane alone, in that little suite—let him know quite a bit more about her habits, her quirks. And as Kurapika knew more about her, she knew more about him as well—how he liked to have vegetables during mealtimes, how he hated the _Thousand Island Dressing, _how he fixes his hair (Killua had told him to teach Akane that),and how, every single time when he's thrown to the ground by life, he needs to be picked up even if he says he does not want to be picked up. And somehow Akane had a gut feeling that now, she would be able to help him better. He was brother, he was '_tribemate' _after all.

_God please praise eternally the Kuruta people. _

At least, with Akane I was assured that there would someone who would be able to ground him-to fix him. Five years had already passed—five long years that he'd been wandering somewhere around the border of being dead and being alive. He'd almost lost his soul to his vendetta. And always, always, I've been watching—forever, I will be watching.

_Let our Blazing Scarlet eyes bear witness._

None of this was a dream.


	31. Rollercoaster Ride

**A/N: **Original full title: _At the very front of__ the waiting station of a roller coaster ride. _(I'm serious.)

**DISCLAIMER: **Hunter x Hunter is all Togashi's.

**OWC** : 3,351 words

* * *

**Chapter 31**

**Rollercoaster Ride **

* * *

_When I was younger, around seven or eight, my father used to forbid me to go outside the house in the day, especially after sunset. Well, he'd always had been doing that, but at those ages he made sure to be effective in drilling it into my mind. I asked him why. He said, "There are drunkards."_

_I asked him why, again. And he told me, "Ask your mother. She always has a brilliant answer to everything."_

_And I did. I tugged at the hem of her sleeve and asked. She turned to me with a warm smile. "Darling, they drink because of the pain. You know, behind each drunken gaze, sweetheart, they've been hurt. Getting drunk offers them numbness, a way to forget and ignore the pain."_

_I closed my eyes, feeling the cool wind the terrifying air conditioner that was set at 19'C spewed out settle against my pulsating, heated flesh. The twisting of my intestines, my guts, were getting tighter, and I could feel the knots tie themselves up in unexplainable bunches. It was getting harder to breathe as I waited, waited for the phone to vibrate and him to respond._

_Looking for numbness was a natural human impulse after pain._

_[Was masochism a natural impulse too?]_

_I blinked and the glass table had turned watery in my gaze, and it turned something like liquid through my fingers. _Numbness, huh? _And then I tried to look through the unclear haziness, trying to search for someone—something, anything—that would serve as a beacon of light in that darkness, in that same bitter and cold darkness that seemed to be stabbing into my guts like knives directed by a heartless person._

_Suddenly everything made sense to me, the blades and the drugs that the teenagers my age—according to what I've been reading in places—everywhere else in the world seemed to be so obsessed with. The so called "numbness" was a double-edged sword waiting to be used._

_Numbness was key._

* * *

"I actually thought we would never see each other."

The sound of the train that was suddenly, noisily racing across the tracks filled the room, masking's Gon's total contemplative silence. Killua paid no heed and just stared on at the moon, and the sky that was in a hue between Navy and Prussian blue where the stars basked. His eyes reflected the color that was similar to his own, the moon somehow turning glassy in the reflection in his orbs.

And then, Gon laughed, breaking the thin ice that had managed to crawl in between the two of them. "But it's okay now, isn't it?"

"_Now_?" Killua asked curiously.

"Now that we're together!" Gon explained cheerily, a wide, ear-to-ear grin pasting itself on his face, highlighting the new-found shine of relief in Gon's chocolate brown eyes.

(This was the final page of their adventure in Kukuru…so far. And the fact that they've lived so far to tell the tale, Gon was happy about it.)

"Oh, yeah," Killua agreed absentmindedly, long after the words had sunk in in his heart like a warm knife to butter. After a slight pause, a devilish kind of smirk made its way across Killua's face. If he had some, his kitsune ears would have twitched in excitement. "Oh and… I don't mind it, but, you might as well stop trying to hide yourself as you _eavesdrop, _Akane. You've been giggling for quite a while now."

"Eh?"

Akane's covers rustled and she was revealed with a stupid smile on her face. Her hair looked like weeds that had tumbled for so long in the desert, tangling in a way that was extraordinary. She pat her head with her hand and ran her fingers through it silently. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. You two just sounded so adorable, like a newly-wed couple or something. Lovebirds," she added at the end, then giggled again.

"What did you say?" Killua's expression was priceless as Akane's smile turned smug.

Hitting his friend's shoulders playfully, Gon laughed out loud, not conscious of the fact that Kurapika and Leorio were fast asleep. "Don't worry about Akane, Killua. She was worried sick for you, too."

Akane turned pale, smug expression melting away. "I was not!"

"Were too!" Gon insisted, laughing.

"She was?" Killua asked, slightly shocked, but no sooner a comic smile crawled up to take over his face again. _Blackmail time. _

Akane wanted to smack Gon in the face for revealing that top secret that would now endanger her from Killua in a meaning more than one.

Gon laughed, and then pulled on both of them to a group hug. "But it's okay now. Everything is and _forever _will be okay."

* * *

The dreams faded away, and the disc with the memories was taken out of the player as waking truth pulled her eyelids open.

The sun rose in time with the roosters crowing that morning. Akane woke up pretty early, too, much earlier than her master, when the sun was still merely peering from behind the mountains where Kurapika was. She had groggily walked to the kitchen—still improperly dressed for the day in her sleeping clothes—and went over to make herself some warm cocoa.

The first week had passed by like an easy summer breeze. They had gotten to know each other better and they'd started the basic training. Basic physical training was introduced to her with 200 rounds of push-ups, sit-ups, and bending… then rinse and repeat. She knew that her master hated Pesto and loved having tomatoes in his pasta, which he could eat every day. Basic Mental training was spent with hours of meditation, and attacks while doing so. She knew that two sachets of brown sugar wasn't enough for her master's morning coffee—two and a half would be just right. And those were the basic essentials.

Her master had openly discussed with her one lunch meal that all those tiring _basics _opened her to the second level of training. And that all those tiring _basics_ were going to be really helpful in the future. But he never told her, however, that in that one week he—they—had managed to successfully, discreetly, and secretly, open her shoukos.

(So she had no idea.)

"Goodmorning, Akane. What did you make us for breakfast today?"

Akane whirled around in her seat. "S—sensei! I—I, um, hadn't—um…uh"

"You just woke up, didn't you?" he asked with a knowing smile.

Scratching the back of her head, Akane smiled. "Ehehe… well… I thought it was a bit too early to cook for a six-thirty a.m. breakfast…ehehehe…" She stole a glance at the clock to see if her alibi would actually buy—six fifteen.

But her sensei, who seemed fairly distracted enough, paid no attention to her stammering reasons and excuses. He walked away from her and, instead, approached the open window, pushing, out of the way, the fleecy curtains with simple, not-so-fancy designs. A comforting kind of silence fell in between them, but Akane was still squirming in her seat.

He sighed as he stared on, the sunlight getting caught in between the strands of his hair, turning the brown strands lighter, brighter—golden.

"What do you think of today's sunrise, Akane?"

Akane's eyes widened at the question. It had come so randomly, so out-of-the-blue that it had driven her silent for a good number of seconds. But then suddenly a warm smile melted on her face as she closed her eyes, letting the words flow and carry her someplace else.

"Magical, sensei. And _different,_ in a good sense."

Her sensei's lips curled up at the sides to form a thin, weak smile, one that was radiating a kind of heartening warmth that made Akane smile even bigger. The day started good, somewhere close to perfect, and she had a very nice feeling about it.

She took a deep breath, and, leaning her back against the chair, letting her hands make their way through the strands of her hair briskly, quickly, like on a routine, before finally tying it at the end with a blue ribbon she kept on her wrist, locking the braid tight and secure.

And then, Akane stood up, carrying her already empty mug to the sink and rinsing it over with water. She pulled at the apron hanging numbly from a rusty nail standing from the cream wall, tying it thoughtlessly behind her neck, feeling the cool of the night dissipate in the air around her as the sunlight made its way, piercing through all the spaces of the house.

Her master was dusting the little shelf near the corner of the TV, most likely holding out a single exact photo frame with a picture of his daughter _Aika, _like he would every morning, and kiss the picture on the forehead. Then he would put it back on the shelf, so softly that the _clink _of the wooden frame against the glass would be barely audible. She would have time to ask about Aika, but not now, not at that moment when it wasn't right. Then he would turn around just in time like he always would, to face his new student and she would—

She whirled around, the smile from earlier still plastered on her face like a sticker unpeeled. "So, what do you want to eat, Sensei?"

* * *

"'_Actually, all Hunters are pretty stubborn. That's why while you're listening to this tape, I should be somewhere doing something stupid. So if you want to meet me, come and find me. …Catch me if you can.'"_

_A very normal-to-see-on-him grin ate away at Gon's young face as Akane looked on curiously, eyebrows raised as if trying to say to Gon the question without saying the actual words because to her it was just so obvious._

_When Akane elicited no reaction from him, she decided to say it out loud. She sighed. "Gon, seriously. I mean, I kind of know why you're doing this, but I'm not getting it quite well. Why do you even…um, bother? He'd already left you for all his craziness… He almost doesn't even deserve to be looked for by a kid like you! He's one careless father if you ask me."_

_Gon's face actually turned blank for a moment, before a smile made its way back up again. Smiling seemed to be his second nature. But despite the smile that remained there, a serious and determined tone eased up in his voice._

"_It's a father-son thing," he explained, chuckling as he went, like it was a joke and he was about to deliver the mighty punch line. "__He challenged me and I accepted the challenge. I've looked for him and there's no more backing down, not here, halfway."_

_Akane looked at him with disbelieving eyes. She was awed at the tenacity of the kid. He had some real lucky and reckless father, right there._

_And then she heard from the speakers that their—Kurapika and hers—flight would be delayed due to some technical problems. She was about to sulk somewhere for, man, how much she hated waiting, when she remembered something, it having just suddenly popped from the back of her mind._

_She turned to Killua, waving a packet of chocolate balls in her hand to call his attention. "And you, you take care of Gon, okay?" she said._

"_Chocorobokun~?" Killua asked the packet, grabbing it from Akane's hands. His face lit up in recognition. "Chocorobokun!" He brought it to his face, rubbing it against his cheek like a little kid who finally got the toy he'd been obsessing on. Then, after he had seemed to have gotten out of what Akane had mused to call, in those few seconds, his _chocorobokun-induced trance, _he shot an accusing glance at the Akane who was watching him amusedly. "And you! Why are you making it sound like _I'm _the bad guy?"_

_Akane could not suppress her laughter. "'Cause you are!" she said, and after a slight pause, added, "—joke." Killua had an expectant look on his face, but Akane did not know how to fulfil whatever it was asking. Instead, she just went on to pat the heads of the two kids. "Just, you two, good luck. And stay safe."_

_Leorio, who had been silently keeping watch, pouted. "What about me?"_

_Everybody went on and laughed, painting the picture of happiness onto a canvas of their memories, with the eighth color of the rainbow._

* * *

If anyone had bothered to ask Akane how she felt that very day, she would have said she felt "like she was at the station." And if anybody bothered to ask a follow up question that asked, "What station? The police station?" She would take a deep breath and continue on with her long answer that she had made up in her ramble in her head.

She felt like she was in the waiting station, in front of a long, long line, waiting for their turn in the roller coaster. She was standing in front of the line and the ride of those who went ahead of her was about to finish, and it was just about her turn. She felt like taking the front seat, where all the action happened. But that rollercoaster was special, because it was that rollercoaster who decided how long the ride would last—one minute or one century, or probably even more to torture her just with the thought. She had no control on where the cars would go, where it would take her, up and down in a maze that she couldn't even see. She would just be there. The rollercoaster was transparent, where she thought it would be safe would actually be dangerous. She would see the people in distorted shapes and as she is spun in the air in infinite loops she would not be able to think straight, she would not be able to make a coherent thought. The only clear thing is what is right ahead of her, nothing too far and nothing behind her. And at the end of the ride she'd probably feel nauseous or tired or probably just plain dizzy. But at the end she would just turn to the exit and walk away—back to the end of the line.

(But not now, not yet. She was still in the waiting station, in front of a long, long line, aware that it would be one hell of a wait and one hell of a ride. She knew what would come for her but she was not scared, no, she wasn't. Not now that she was at the front of the line.)

But no one bothered to ask Akane how she felt that day, so she never bothered to answer.

* * *

"When I was a kid, they used to teach in the schools that the stars are actually beacons of light coming from the spirits of the dead that continue to stay, lives that do not want to leave us, souls that continue to watch in guard."

Akane turned around from her seat in the dining table. "What?"

"Back there, in Rukuso," Kurapika started. It just slid out of her mouth as if it was by reflex. He just wanted to tell her everything, tell her the entire world. "Back there in Rukuso, every time there was a full moon there would be a ceremony. Nights with a full moon were usually the nights when people were closest to the spirits, when people were most vulnerable physically but strongest spiritually." He took a deep breath, shooting a glance to the window, peering to the full moon. "There was a full moon, you know. The week before the massacre, people were celebrating. Yes, we were. And that night we held a baptism for one my cousins. His name was Kohaku, he had amber eyes and everybody believed that he was an angel. He had beautiful eyes." His voice was drifting away and Akane wondered if he was slowly falling into sleep, or into a fantasy five years back. "I named him. I named him—_Kohaku. _It was a cool September morning when he was born, a cool, cool September morning. The sun hadn't even risen then, and when it did it reflected against his eyes and they were gold—they were gold…"

Akane's eyes fluttered as she shivered in her seat. She rested her chin on the top of the backrest and purred like a sleepy kitten. She pulled the blanket over her form. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

(_If I was, _she asked herself, _then why aren't tears springing in my eyes? Do I actually feel anything for Kurapika's people?—they are mine too, aren't they? Isn't this what I've been looking for, my lost heritage?_)

"It's not like you can do anything about it, can you?" Kurapika asked uncertainly, and Akane could only blink her eyes. "What's done is done. Five years has passed and Kohaku is merely a memory, a beacon on where I'm supposed to go. He pushes me on. He wasn't even one year old, Akane, he wasn't. But what's done is done, and…"

"…then why are you still pushing over for this so-called righteous avenging?" Akane asked. "Will your vengeance bring Kohaku back? Or your mother, or your father?"

Silence was what answered Akane and she hoped that he got it. She pulled herself closer to Kurapika by dragging her seat closer to his place in the sofa, blanket still around her arms. She took a deep breath and looked at Kurapika, hoping she was as ready as she thought she was for that moment.

"Your blood stained hands will not bring them back, Kurapika. You lost them all in less than a day, and you are not going to be able get them back."

Akane stared at Kurapika's eyes, trying to beat blue with turquoise, trying to drill with the intensity of her stare the lesson into Kurapika's mind. _May it carve itself roughly against your hard head, _she thought bitterly in her head. She understood and got a 3D view of what was going on with him, but she just couldn't stand watching him break just like that.

And then, sleep and blanket forgotten, Akane stood up and walked away with an air of sadness and pity, to the bathroom. Maybe a good shower would clean her senses, her heart, of the _whatever_ emotions that were dragging her, weighing her down. And the towel fell on her shoulders as her bare skin was embraced by the cool wind and the empty words of a Kurutan Prayer that Kurapika had yet to teach her.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm sorry I'm being really slow at this arc, I'm just trying to get them into place. You don't know how much I'm itching to get to the action, too. Which might cut off the chapter count to less than 40. We'll see.

(I'm sorry, I've been very misleading. I will get on to the point with Akane next chapter.)

Any ideas on what's going on so far, and how stuff will go?

Reviews help Akane with her mood swings.  
(And gives Killua and the author free chocolate.)

l

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	32. And the days go on

**A/N: **Tsk! _Gomennasai _my dearest readers for abandoning you for the past few months. My summer vacation had just killed me with its new fandoms and its promise of a beach and swimming and _ocean, _leaving me out of the way to write anything for ALH even though I promise myself I would.

I was going through my to-write list when I found Chapter 32 in its deepest recesses. ohdeargodI'msosorry.

(I probably experimented with at least three writing styles in this chapter.) All I can offer for hospitality is this chapter, for the meantime (especially its ending. haha. that was fun to write!), and all my "thank yous" for sticking with me all this time. ALH is now 2 years old. Wow. And it's still not done.

[[and will stay undone for a while longer 1.) there are new fandoms in my head, and 2.) because the longer I think of the ending the stupider it sounds. tsk!]]

/this chapter probably has typos or errors of the sort because I haven't managed to do a run-check. tsk. thank you.

Constructive criticism is well appreciated, as well as reviews with cookies or pizza on them. because I'm hungry. damnnnn.

**OWC: **4,854 words

**Disclaimer: **HxH is Yoshihiro Togashi's.

* * *

**Chapter 32:**

_And the days go on_

* * *

**_Let's try this again;_  
**

* * *

_Manipulation_

* * *

_Killua pulled Gon's wrist roughly, earning a groan from the other kid as he was dragged all over on the shiny linoleum floors of the building. "Killua, what are you doing?" Gon protested, trying his best to stand his ground but utterly failing. "We should stay here! Do you actually plan on leaving them behind?"_

_Killua sighed, his eyes closing, hand on his forehead, sounding like he was trying to relieve himself from the stress of that very moment. Gon looked at him with pleading eyes, like the chocolate in his irises were about to melt, mirroring the expression they had left Akane with. But Killua remained unfazed. When his eyelids fluttered open, his dark, dark blue eyes were frozen over with a layer of ice. Gon flinched, taking a step back from his friend. _

"_No, Gon. We're leaving." Then, pausing for a while, he let go of Gon's wrist. "Or rather, if you're not, then I'm leaving. I've done all I could. She didn't train for nothing, right? I'm done." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm done. I'm letting her be. That's for the better, anyway."_

* * *

_Reinforcement_

* * *

Bright mornings and the chittering of birds. She sat on a woven mat, laid across the green grass that grew freely on the cold, damp, fertile soil. The sky was the most beautiful shade of blue; and white, cottony cumulous clouds were splattered across it. A cool breeze from the high tops of the mountain that still smelled of pine and waterfalls and wildflowers blew past her, and immediately she was calmed.

_Daddy! _She would call, and her voice was high-pitched and still very much child-like. She would have a smile plastered upon her face, blue eyes shaded with brown locks, curled but they would reach her waist. Her dress was white, ballooning out by her waist, reaching her knees. A grin plastered on her lips, she would pull at the wrist of the older man and spin him in the open field.

_We'll look for butterflies and pick flowers for Mommy, is that okay? _Exuberant and full of life. The little girl would pull her father over and bring him into the woods, deeper, darker. Only she knew the path and it scared him, at some point, but he let her guide the way. _There are rosebushes over there, daddy, doesn't Mommy love roses? _She would giggle and run faster, leaving the older man to chase after her. _There's blue and yellow and orange; and then red and pink and white. White roses are beautiful, daddy, aren't they?_

And then he would lose sight of her and there would be a shot; the next moment, he stood before two gravestones, one with her name and the other, of her mother. White roses in front of each and they looked beautiful, so so beautiful…

He snapped his eyes open and heard the click of the door shutting, the yellow-haired girl under his wing. He took a sip of his coffee. He would make no errant mistakes this time.

* * *

_Transformation_

* * *

"Listen. _Nen_ is the ability to manipulate the vital energy—aura—that naturally comes out of the body. Everyone actually projects small amounts of this vital energy, but it's only a little uncontrollable leak, that's all."

_Do you think we would be able to save them with this?_

"The technique used to regulate it is _Ten. _It's basic protection for any nen-user. When it's well-applied, it can even be used as a bullet-proof shield of some sort."

_We won't be able to save everyone, but we can do the best that we can._

"_Zetsu_. That's the technique used to erase the traces of your presence. Highly effective in battle."

_I wonder how Akane is doing, Killua._

"_Ren_ is the technique used to make an aura rise in special, exceptional situations. It's basic power-up, to keep it short."

_She's probably doing perfectly well._

"All of this is achieved by using merely the energy that naturally comes out of the human body. This can mean good, or bad."

_We started to walk forward._

"If a bad spirit—or aura—would attack a defenceless man, it's not far from impossible that the unlucky man could be killed with only the aura."

_Start the long journey, one step in front of the other._

"The only way to protect his body from the users of this _Nen_—is the nen within ourselves, to protect ourselves with _Ten."_

_Midnight blue eyes, chocolate brown. Perhaps we would be able to make a difference._

"We repel the opposite aura with our own aura. Otherwise… the body would be split into shreds."

_We start with ourselves. We improve ourselves. We see what we can do._

"This is _Nen. _A secret yet powerful force that is hidden in everybody. But only a few are able to control this, much less master. That's why they're called 'Nen-users': They're special. Genius. Gifted."

_This isn't so bad._

"There are two ways in opening up your _shoukos_—the openings in your bodies which contain the aura. You can take it slowly, like I'm doing with Zushi. He mastered _Ten _in six gruelling months."

_We're running out of time, but we'll do our best._

"That won't work! We only have until midnight, and we have to break through Hisoka's nen wall!"

_These are the things that will help us grow._

"Then there's only one way—we'll forcibly open your shoukos."

_There's no turning back._

* * *

_Emission_

* * *

"Now, _Hatsu, _girl, is your own personal expression of nen. Think of it as an abstract painting if you were a painter—_Akane,_ are you listening?"

Akane blinked, tearing her eyes away from the funny shapes she saw in the chocolate syrup floating atop her hot cocoa for that cold night. "Oh? Uh, yeah. Something sounding like sneeze. Personal expression."

"Right," her _sensei _said sarcastically, before punching her hard on the shoulder. "Listen up. Just because it's a Friday night doesn't mean there's no training for you. If you're undergoing probationary training, you have to keep going at it because there is a chance that you might lose how far you've been going."

"Ow, ow, ow…" Akane chanted as she rubbed her shoulder, mug of cocoa cooling on the glass table. "Fine, fine. Please continue with the discussion, I will pay utmost attention, _sensei._"

Her _sensei _stared at her quizzically. Had he actually grown so close to the girl that he was letting her go off acting just like that? Or was it because of her eyes—how close, how close the shade was of Aika's? "Remind me what I said about _Hatsu_ earlier, I forgot."

"Personal expression of nen, something abstract painting something," Akane struggled to explain, staring blankly at her teacher.

Her _sensei _nodded. So she _was _listening, if only a good 50% of her. "Yes. _Hatsu, _the use and how it is used,is different to every person. Listen to this, because _Hatsu_ is a bigger deal than anything you've learned from me. It's greater than the **sum **of everything you've learned for me." She perked up, putting her mug down again—she had to keep her attention, and the warmth in that mug was just so distracting. "Basically, nen-users—which include you now, by the way—can be categorized into six kinds. Like cattle, yes, like cattle." She shot him an odd glance. "You can either be an Enhancer, _Kyōkakei_. Or an Emitter, _Hōshutsukei_. Or Manipulator, _Sōsakei_. Conjurer, _Gugenkakei_. Transmuter, _Henkakei_. Or, if you're special, then a Specialist: _Tokushitsukei_."

Akane's eyes were already dead bored when he turned to her once more. That mug—that special white mug with a frog on it—was being embraced by her hands again, she couldn't seem to let go of it. "And so why am I learning these technical terms? _Kei kei kei._"

"Because you are one of those six," her master told her grimly.

Akane blinked. "How do I know which one of those, then? I mean, that's a hefty lot of skills. Six."

"You try the water test," he said blankly. He walked toward the light switch by the wall and turned it on, flooding the dark room—that used to be illuminated by merely a single yellowish lamp near the corner where Akane was—with a bright white light. Akane halfway closed her eyes as she winced with the sudden brightness that took her quite a time to get used to. Then, he picked up one of the wine glasses from the drying rack near the kitchen, filled it with tap water, and only then walked to Akane. She had put down the mug—thank goodness—and crouched over, blanket spilling over her shoulders, to look at the water-filled glass. It was filled to the brim. Then, her _sensei _placed this singular leaf he plucked from the indoor plant.

She pulled the blanket closer to her skin. "I hope this test doesn't involve merely staring at the glass, 'cause I think nothing's happening. Which is pretty sad for me, isn't it?" Sarcasm laced her tone and she had a smirk on her face.

"Well, don't be scared then," he prodded, tapping her shoulder. "You cup your hands around the glass and perform _Ren. _The reaction will tell me what your ability is."

She struggled to sit up. She stared at her hands. Then, looking disgustingly at the cup, not exactly trusting her master, she frowned. "No, you do it first."

"Okay," he said, his tone sounding as if he didn't have a care in the world. His calloused hands made their way around the cup, and then his body poured over with _Ren. _Akane watched the cup curiously, but then her left eyebrow slowly started to raise when she didn't see anything change. He stayed there for about a minute, concentrating, and then stopped.

She stared at him. "I can't see if anything happened."

"You don't see," he said with closed eyes and a smile. He put the leaf down on the glass coffee table. He took the wine glass by its neck and handed it to her. "Here, taste it. I'll bet you your dinner tomorrow it tastes better than your cocoa."

"Dinner? That's—that's a hefty bet. You're pretty confident." She knew how her _sensei _loved to cook delicious food for dinner during weekends just for the heck of it. She took the glass gingerly and brought it to her lips. Her eyes widened. She brought it away from her face and placed it beside her mug. A slight frown went to her lips as she admitted: "Well, damn."

Her master had a knowing look on his face as he took the wine glass away to rinse it and refill it with water. He placed the leaf again on top of the water. "Well? Do it yourself now."

"Okaaaay," she said, letting the blanket fall loose. She cupped with shivering hands the glass, and she closed her eyes as she performed _Ren_. She didn't want to see what she was doing. She counted up to sixty in her head as she did Ren, then when she was finished, she immediately pulled her hands under the blanket and cowered. "What did I do?"

Her master was staring at the glass. "What do you see?"

"I see…" she started, blinking. She wasn't quite sure if it was the light or she did that herself, and it was real. "I think… I think the color of the water—I think it's… murkier? Darker?"

Her master nodded. "It turned darker with a shade of purple, yes," he said. "That says everything. Now we know your _Hatsu. _You will begin your specialised training tomorrow. Go to bed," he said, taking the glass and turning off the lights again.

"Wait—wait! You didn't tell me what my _Hatsu_ is! It changed color? So what?" Akane asked.

"You are_ Hōshutsukei,_" he said idly, leaving the wineglass in the sink. "You remember that. No dinner for you, too. Go to sleep."

Akane sat there, dumbstruck. As her master slowly closed the door to his room, she called out to him, almost in a half-shriek, panicking in the half-darkness state she was in: "But _Sensei, _what does an Emitter do?_!_"

* * *

_Materialization_

* * *

The glass was placed back on the stone, looking different from how it was much earlier. His master smiled—smiled?—and a glint in his eyes as he looked at his apprentice.

"It would seem that you are of the _Materialization _type. You can materialize the normally shapeless aura of your body into a solid object."

His eyes narrowed slightly, glare boring deep into the glass. "I wanted to be of the _Manipulation _class."

"That is not for you to decide." His master looked at him. "We will practice that from now on."

x x x

It was the darkness that embraced Kurapika from the very start. Never was it the burning of the flames, the pungent smoke, and the headache that throbbed against his skull. It was the darkness, as he ran and ran, away. _Farther. _So far until he could not turn back.

"Strength." His voice was calm and assured and he talked to the silence. "The strength that can banish all the wandering spirits into the deepest level of hell."

His hands curled around an invisible substance. He did not know why, or where they came from. All he knew was that chains clinked together around his fingers, cold against his burning flesh. They sounded like an elegy.

x x x

When he closed his eyes, hungry for sleep, he would open them to a nightmare. He would find himself bound in a spider web, its silky strands around his body, looking fragile and yet so sharp. He would bleed in the parts where the web would dig into his skin.

And then he would wake up. He would wake up feeling vulnerable and chased down to the corners of his fears, until he felt them. The chains, appearing from his right hand, and then, slowly, tangled out to defend him. He would be able to sniff out the sharp scent of iron, and it would linger in his tongue. In his senses.

And then he would curl up again. He would feel the steel on his skin and he would fall back into a restless, dreamless sleep, where he was free of spider-webs, but not of pitch-black darkness.

x x x

"Why a chain?"

"So that I can punish and drag to hell those monsters that still roam the world freely."

His hand closed around itself to form a fist, and the chains appeared again. He was glowing with his Nen and his _sensei_ was taken aback, but retained the fierce glance. "I think the one being restrained by the chains are _you._"

"What do you know?"

_It's not like your opinion matters._

Hand still in a fist, his heart raged in his chest. If no one would be there to support him, well, he would do it on his own. He had been alone from the start; he would be able to finish it without anyone as well.

_I will put an end to them._

* * *

_Specialization_

* * *

"_Ohayou gozaimasu_~"

Morning came by faster than she thought it would have come in the night. She stretched her arms after rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She yawned. She would have slept an hour longer—her _sensei _allowed her an extra hour of sleep on Saturdays and Sundays—but that day was a special day, a bit too special for another hour of sleep.

She stared at herself in the mirror, running her brush across the blonde strands of her hair with quick, brusque strokes. After she got it tidy, she walked toward her closet and took a minute thinking what easy-to-wear clothes she could take out for the day. With a smile she settled with a red-and-white knee-length blouse with ribbons, and cropped jeans. She would pair it up with her favourite boots and as she tied the last lace, she felt for the spare money she had kept under her pillowcase and she thought what she would get for that special day.

Her _sensei _was sitting at the table, with a mug of his usual dark, sugar-less coffee and a fresh copy of the day's paper. In front of him was a plate of toasted bread, six loaves. She smiled—he already toasted some for her in advance. He might have heard her fix in her room.

"You going somewhere?" her master asked lightly, conversationally.

Akane scratched the back of her head. "Umm, actually, that was my plan." She paced to the cabinet to get herself a glass to drink orange juice, while munching on a loaf of toasted bread.

"And where are you going?" he asked. His eyes, earlier staring intently at her motions, travelled back to the paper, which suddenly seemed more important than asking her about her plans. It seemed like he was keeping up the conversation just so that there wouldn't be an awkward silence between them so early in the morning.

"Nowhere special," she replied, taking a loaf of toasted bread. It was obvious what it meant that it didn't even need clarifying—_I'm not telling you. _"Town, maybe. Then to the river. Someplace quiet. I don't know."

But she knew and he knew that she knew. He didn't bother to ask—that day, the calendar he had hung by the front door to mark for special events and keep track of Akane's training was marked with a blue gift. He took a sip of his coffee as Akane sat down on the seat in front of him, not to eat leisurely, just waiting for him to give her the permission.

Finally, after a long, silent wait and awkward chewing, he said, "Go. Take the bike if you need it."

"Thank you!" Akane said with a cheery smile. If she knew any better she would have just gone over and gave a hug to her _sensei, _but she knew how sensitive he was in the mornings—_really, __**dead**__ sensitive_—so she didn't bother. She grabbed the keys to the bike-lock that hung on the nail where the calendar hung and she went outside with the biggest grin in her face.

"Training starts after dinner, girl!" her master added right before she pushed the bike out of the gate.

The bright April sun beat down on her face. The weather was a fair one, and there was no sign of rain. White clouds pranced in front of the sun to provide shade once in a while, but not too often. A kind wind blew through the city once in a while. There was no way she wouldn't make this day even more special than it already was. She pocketed the keys of the now-unlocked bike and started the long, fun, downhill ride to town.

It had been a good month or more since she'd been training. She hadn't even bothered to count or check the days. She'd known the city by heart now, especially since most of the time her _sensei _ended up telling her to buy food or ingredients for cooking. From their house, turn a left and ride on straight—that was the wet market. The other end was the hospital. If you lead the route straight ahead there was the center of the city, with the municipal offices, the school, and the park. Walk a little in the alleyways outside the public school and you would find the book shop. On the other side of the municipal offices was the drugstore, and the department store.

The wind breezed through her hair as she let go of the pedals to just slide down the slope, mentally screaming _WEEEEEEEE _in her head like a child in a roller coaster.

She turned the corner right before the school, to reach the little alley that, that very week, they had decided to turn into a little bazaar for the city. She hopped out of her bike with a smile. Instead of riding it, she walked it around in the tight, narrow streets, looking at all the people and their merchandise.

_Hmm… _she thought. She was walking **really **slowly, prodding through the streets, eyes open for anything that might catch her eye. _What would he like? _Her eyes wandered from stall to stall, looking at the items. There were charms, bracelets, necklaces. One store even sold printed neckties. But most of the stores sold items for girls, bangles and accessories.

(She was interested on what Kurapika's reaction would be, if he was to be given something girly, but she did not want to be the one at risk. _No thanks._)

_He may want new clothes, _she thought, eyes peering through the windows of a shop. There were boy clothes inside, loose shirts and long-sleeved polo shirts. But, considering Kurapika's sensitivity, she decided not to go inside and check because he might take the gesture as an insult. She continued her walk in the bazaar.

She turned a left because she had reached the end of the bazaar, only to find the best store so far. _Aaaah,_ she thought with a smile as she approached the nearby bike rack right across—lucky her. "Perfect," she said.

She locked the bike with its padlock, and, after making sure that it was secure, went inside the store. The calm, intoxicating scent of sandalwood mingling with the wafting of the scent of freshly-printed books entered her nostrils, overwhelming her. That very moment, she asked herself why she wasn't actually fond of reading—only to be answered by her brain that she hated the words, she hated thinking about it.

But Kurapika…he was different. _There might be something in here, _she thought, looking at the titles of the books that stood in the display shelves. Kurapika was different—he hid behind the words that he used, smart-assed and full of knowledge, because he needed to defend what he was fighting for. The titles of the books—Akane had no idea what the hell they were. Much less had she any clue on what he may like. But she could probably guess.

_Maybe something familiar_, she thought, fingers tracing the brittle spines of the old books. Classics, she thought, might be a good read for Kurapika—wasn't he reading the _tragedy of Romeo and Juliet _back in the Hunter Exam?

But looking at the title, Akane could only sweatdrop. _Damn… these books look too hard…_ She leaned against the wooden shelf and sighed deeply. _What do I get a guy like him? I have no idea what I should get him? _The titles of the books she had previously passed by didn't seem so interesting to what she thought would be Kurapika's taste—_Idiot's Guide on Boats; The Fast and the Furious : Cars 101; Effective Kama Sutra for couples; The graphic novel of the Twilight Saga_.

She was looking for something that might be familiar to her eyes, but there was none. Then, she decided to go on with luck. She closed her eyes and fumbled through the shelves, and after the twentieth count picked the first book that her hands could tackle.

A smile crept up her distressed face. _Maybe I should rely on luck a bit more often… oh wait, I already do. _She rolled her eyes at the thought as she observed the book she found. It was a purple, leather bound book with its title, written in calligraphy, embossed in some kind of golden ink at the front. It didn't look too old, but it didn't look new either—the pages were faded. She guessed maybe around ten years, maybe even fifteen.

She thumbed around the book. It was about 500 pages long, and it was even a manuscript—it was a book written by hand. She thought of all the labor put into it. It had a really beautiful, neat calligraphy in every page. It was a worth buy, or so she believed.

_I hope he likes it, _she thought, as she walked toward the counter thoughtfully, her pinky tracing the neat writing in which the title and its author was written in at the very front of the hardbound book.

**Inferno  
Dante**

"Oh dear, you're a classic lover?" the cashier asked, after putting the book into a brown paper bag.

Scratching the back of her neck with one hand—it had become a habit; where she picked it up was out of her bounds—she handed the money to the cashier. "Oh, not really… it's for a friend."

"Then he must be really special," the cashier said. He handed her the change to the book and she smiled warily. "Here, take one of these cards. I'm sorry; our gift-wrapping guy is out for today. He said he was busy. I hope these cards will do."

"Oh, they will. Thank you!" Akane said, taking one that she liked—one with a puppy on it—and wrote. 'Hey you! Happy Birthday Kurapika! It's April 4, I hope you didn't forget ;)'

She walked out of the store and with a smug smile, unlocked her bike, and started to wind out of the bazaar. Gift on the basket, she hopped on the bike and rode across the city and out. The uphill ride was much harder—and definitely less fun—than the downhill ride, but she pushed on. Through the window, when she passed by, she waved to her _sensei _who was staring out the window. He pretended not to notice.

But then again, the ride uphill was much easier than the ride through the thickets. Sure, there was a path that she could easily follow—Kurapika and his sensei had been going down the city once or a twice a time, too—but it was hard preventing her bike wheels from getting stuck in the weeds and the vines. Twigs, bushes, and shrubs got in the way, too, and she was doing all she can to avoid the bamboo splinters.

_Oh what a better place to train than this, you masochistic moron, _she teased him in her head, rolling her eyes.

She reached the house of Kurapika's sensei within twenty minutes. She took a deep breath, a sign of great relief. Wiping the sweat off her face, she decided she could worry about going down later.

"_Sensei_-san?" she called, as she was trained to call him. The man, who was sitting on a stump of a tree smoking his cigarette, nodded in acknowledgement to the blonde girl.

"Yo, Akane." He paused, waiting for her to fill in the silence with the question. But she did not say anything, just merely staring at him as she unloaded the paper bag from the basket. He raised an eyebrow—he probably didn't know. "He's by the stream, cooking lunch."

"Okay," Akane said. "_Arigatou, Sensei_-san." She walked toward the direction of the stream to find him there, indeed. She smiled. "Kurapikaaaaa~"

He turned around, his bangs covering his eyes. His hair had gotten a good length longer since the last time she saw him. His bangs reached up below his eyebrows, and his hair was halfway through his neck. She would love to cut it for him, but she knew how bad she did haircuts—hers was an utter proof to that.

"Akane?" he asked curiously, putting down the knife where he was cleaning the fish. Akane had a lasting memory of him cleaning a fish of its insides, but she put that away. It wasn't the time for that. "Why are you here?"

She grinned. "You forgot? Geez, you." She pushed the paper bag against his chest. "Happy Birthday! You're like, what, 18 now? So old."

He widened his eyes and took the paper bag from her. He was shocked. Dumbfounded even. His own _shisho_ didn't even bother to greet him, so who would remember…

"You know, I would have forgotten, too. Blame me and my stupid goldfish memory, it's always like that with birthdays. But not this time, I made sure to mark the date," she said with a smug, bratty air around her like what she'd done was something no one else in the world does. Then, her eyes turning serious, she told Kurapika, "Don't take the book too seriously, though. …I think it's serious. But don't take it too seriously, it's not good for you."

He opened the paper bag, feeling the stapler snap with his force and he took out the book. He was awestruck—definitely it was a rare copy and for her to find it just like that. His hands run across the old leather, purple now, and he blinked. "This is nice…"

"You're welcome!" Akane said, closing her eyes like in a hero time pose. A grin was about to make its way to her face and just as she was about to do her ultimate plan, Kurapika had embraced her. Sheepishly, but it was an embrace nonetheless. Blood rushed to her cheeks with surprise, but then it faded away.

"Thank you," he murmured to her ear, before letting go.

The grin finally went to her face successfully and she nodded. "You're welcome. But now, you're going to have to pay for what you did, touching me like that."

Kurapika still had his eyebrow raised right before Akane had pushed him into the water with a strong finger.


End file.
